


Magister

by Gilescandy



Series: The Magister 'Verse [1]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Multi, Murder, Rape, Scary child, Vampire Giles, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-20
Updated: 2013-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-24 02:38:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/934254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilescandy/pseuds/Gilescandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  It's a Vamp!Giles.  Let the mayhem commence!</p><p>Timeline:  A/U.  I had to mess with time to get the combination of characters and past events I wanted.  So, the Buffy crew is at the beginning of season seven, only it’s a few weeks before Dawn starts school, Giles came back with Willow to help her settle in, Anya is human again, and Spike has had time to get used to his soul.  The Angel crew has been in a rut.  They’re in season two just after moving into the Hyperion.  And Faith is in Buffy seven, reformed and escaped from prison.  Just go with it, you should catch on pretty quick.</p><p>Awards:  Runner-up, Best Series. No Rest for the Wicked Awards (round 8)<br/>Runner-up, Best AU. Absence of Light Awards (round 4)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lightest of Burdens is Death

**Author's Note:**

> First posted for Summer of Giles 2011.
> 
> Magister is Latin. It is pronounced 'Ma-jee-stay'. Sounds better that way.

1\. The Lightest of Burdens is Death

“God! I should’ve never let any of you come with me!” Buffy screamed in frustration as she paced around the lobby of the Los Angeles hotel that served as headquarters for Angel Investigations. Her cries were heard, but the ones they were directed at did not respond. Xander stood just inside the doors, breathless and blinded by tears. Willow sat in a corner, rocking herself as she tried to bite back sobs. And Dawn, the youngest and, at this one moment, bravest, sat by him, gripping his hand and staring into his eyes, willing him to fight just a little longer.

Cordelia hurried in with a bowl of water and a washcloth. She gave it to Dawn, who began mopping the sweat and blood from his brow and face while whispering soothing sounds. Even she knew there was no hope, but she wasn’t going to let herself break down like the others. Not when there was still comfort she could give him. Not when he still needed to see a caring face.

“There was nothing you could have done,” Angel tried to calm Buffy. “No one could have known they heard you were coming. They came out of nowhere.”

“That was my point,” Buffy howled. “If it was just me--”

Xander’s fist thumped against the wall. “Then you would have been outnumbered ten to one and we would have lost a Slayer instead of a…”

“I know how strong those things are,” Angel tried to back the boy up. “It’s a wonder any of you survived.”

Buffy began to shake with rage. “What was he doing taking on two at once anyway? He should know better.”

“It was for me!” Dawn finally cried out over her shoulder. “He took the hit that was meant for me. He saved my life and now he’s going to die.” A weak squeeze from the hand she held brought her attention back to the man lying on the table. He was trying to speak, but all he could manage were bloody gurgles. “Shh,” the girl whispered to him. “I know. These days I always know what you’re going to say to me. But nothing is going to make losing you any easier. I love you--”

“We’re not going to lose him,” Buffy cut her off. “Willow, you’re the most powerful witch I know. You can heal him, can’t you?”

Willow looked up at her with a sudden fire in her eyes. “If I could, don’t you think I’d be doing it already? Buffy, half his chest is gone. There’s no coming back from that! It’s only by sheer willpower that he’s still alive now!”

“Then we go to Plan V.” Buffy stared resolutely at her friend.

“Plan V was just a thought exercise,” Willow said cautiously. “I studied it because I wanted to know if I could do it. But the idea of actually using it…”

“I’m not going to lose him now, Will. Not after all he’s done for me. All he’s done for all of us.”

Tears cascaded down the witch’s cheeks. “Don’t you dare imply that I don’t remember everything we’ve put him through! What I did to him… I’m just saying that we should think about whether or not he would want this.”

“I don’t care what he wants!” Buffy yelled.

“Since when is that a new thing?” Xander stepped into the conversation. Buffy wheeled on him, pinning him to the wall before she realized what she was doing. She slowly let him go.

“So what are you two suggesting? When we first talked about this, it was because we were tired of losing everyone we loved. We’ve been together, fighting to save the world for so long and what has the world given us in return? Oz, Riley, Angel, Cordy… All driven away. Then we lost Miss Calendar, and mom, and Tara, and now…” Buffy growled in frustration. “Every time he leaves us on our own things fall apart. Are you telling me that you can just stand here and watch him die now? Let him go forever?”

Xander and Willow shook their heads sadly with a simultaneous, “No.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Willow’s eyes shot up to her with a panicked look. “I need supplies. Some rare items that we’ll never find before…” Her eyes indicated the man on the table as her voice refused to finish.

“I believe I have everything you’ll require, Willow,” Wesley’s voice drifted from the office doorway.

“You know what she wants me to do,” Willow moved toward him. “And you’re willing to help?”

“It’s not hard to guess from your conversation. But I must warn you, the Council has strict policies pertaining to this sort of thing. Especially when an asset of his caliber is compromised. Though I am no longer affiliated with them, you can be sure that all of us are still of great interest to them.”

Buffy growled, “We’ll deal with the Council when they catch up. You and Willow start getting ready.”

“I still can’t believe you want to help with this,” the red-head followed Wesley.

“I will admit to you that I think it’s foolish, and you and Xander are correct with your objections,” the ex-Watcher spoke calmly. “But the Slayer seems determined. Better to stay and be sure the proceedings run smoothly than to be expelled and unable to help.” Wesley let a half-smile jerk at the corner of his mouth. “Besides, I too have some affection for the man. Though, in our short time together, we may have seemed to be at odds, I do count him as a friend.”

Buffy grabbed Angel’s coat and pulled him to the side of the dying man. “Okay, as soon as our magical duo in there is ready to capture his soul, you are going to turn him.”

Angel swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. Cordelia’s head snapped up from helping Dawn tend to the wounded man. She had no such problem. “Are you insane,” she screeched. “You can’t do that to him. You can’t turn--”

“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it,” Buffy barked.

Angel was captured by the pleading green eyes of the dying man. There was sorrow, pain, and fear. But he knew from experience this man did not fear death, his own least of all. This man feared becoming the monster he’d spent his whole life fighting against. He feared becoming the vampire he was now pleading with. Pleading for the simple mercy of death.

“I can’t,” Angel finally said. “I won’t touch him. After all I‘ve done to this man, you can’t ask me to turn him into a monster.”

“But he won’t be,” Buffy begged. “We’ll give him his soul back. He’ll be like--”

“Like me?” Angel spat. “I wouldn’t wish this curse on my worst enemy.”

Dawn’s resolve to be strong for him was fading and her eyes began to flood and run over as she looked up at her sister. “You can’t curse him. Please, Buffy, I don’t want him to die either, but I won’t let you sentence him to hell.”

“We aren’t going to, Dawn,” Buffy whispered soothingly. “Willow figured out how to do it so he can be happy. He’ll be with us forever. And he’ll be able to fight along side me like he always wanted to and never get really hurt again.”

Dawn looked back and saw tears streaming from the corners of his sad, green eyes. She knew nothing she could say would change her sister’s mind. There was also the selfish part of her screaming in the back of her mind, telling her how much she didn’t want to let go either. Telling her how much she loved him and how much she didn’t want to lose another parent. Because that’s what he was. There may not have been any blood between them, but that didn’t make him any less the man who looked after her and cared for her. In her heart he was her father and no one could tell her any different. The youngest of this group of warriors wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Angel turned to walk away. “I’m not touching him. The man has spent his whole life fighting my kind. I will not do him the injustice of turning him into one.”

“I told you he’d say that, B.” Faith stood in the doorway with a small, female vampire wriggling in her firm grip. “Good thing I brought a backup plan.”

“Here’s the deal,” Buffy announced as the struggling vampire was forced toward her. “All you have to do is turn this guy and we’ll let you go.”

“Buffy,” Angel tried. “She’s still so young I can smell the dirt on her. She doesn’t know any better. She doesn’t know what he can become.”

“If you’re not going to help me you can just shut up!” Buffy shouted at him. The vampire that loved her lowered his eyes in defeat.

“We’re ready over here,” Willow’s quiet voice informed the Slayer.

“Good. Start the ritual,” Buffy ordered. The Slayer grabbed the captured vampire and cleared the others away from the dying man. She took out a knife and slit the vampire’s wrist. 

Beside her, the man on the table made one last attempt to let his wishes be heard. But his blood soaked lungs wouldn’t hold enough air to force his vocal cords to work. As his Slayer forced the vampire’s face against his neck, the pain of the small bite faded into the dull throb that wracked the rest of his body. Darkness closed in on his vision and he could taste the tang of another’s blood mixing with his own in his useless mouth. His limbs grew cold, numb as what little blood he had left was drained from his dying body. The pain was gone now. Just darkness, just rest.

There, in the lobby of a strange hotel, in the heart of a strange city, and surrounded by the people he loved most in the world, Rupert Giles died.

 

***

 

Giles’ last breath escaped like a silent explosion, sending a shock wave of grief rippling through the room. The dark eyes of his young sire darted around in fear. She watched as the humans around her withered and became incapacitated by their emotions. Seeing a clear path to the exit, she took it. She ran as fast as she could, not noticing that no one moved to stop her.

At the door, the fleeing forced-sire left a toppling and confused Gunn in her wake. He watched her disappear into the night as he dusted himself off and wandered into the hotel. The scene he stepped into was even more confusing. Cordelia, along with a young, blond woman and a teenager, was hunched over the table, bawling. Angel stood, looking on with his head bowed in sadness. A dark-haired young man and a woman in leather stood at his side, both shaking with silent grief. Wesley was on the floor by the counter, cradling an unconscious red-head, who was bleeding from the nose, in his arms. The whole picture was enough to make anyone’s heart stop.

“God, who died?” Gunn breathed. He immediately regretted giving any voice to the question as he finally noticed what the group around the table was huddling over. It was the body of a man. A man who obviously meant a lot to each person in that room. Gunn almost staggered as he remembered who Angel had sent for to get help and the weight of the combined grief that filled the room hit him in the chest. All he could whisper was, “I’m sorry.”

Angel blinked a tear from his eye as he looked up, the only one to notice that Gunn had even arrived. He gave his young ally a subtle nod of reassurance and quietly cleared his throat. There was work to be done now, and no time to lose. “Gunn, Xander,” he began in a quiet, but commanding voice. “I need you two to set up some accommodations in the basement. The most heavy duty shackles you can find. No cutting corners when you bolt them to the wall. We’re about to have a very dangerous guest.”

“Got ya, Boss,” Gunn nodded. “One Angelus special coming up.” Xander took one last glance at the body of his friend and followed Gunn into the basement.

“Cordy, Dawn, Faith” Angel continued gently. “Willow needs your help right now. Take her upstairs and find her a nice room. Make sure she’s comfortable.”

Cordelia nodded, wiping her eyes. Dawn ran her fingers along the kind features of Giles’ face one last time, then rose to help tend to Willow.

“Wes,” Angel said as Faith lifted Willow from the ex-Watcher’s arms. “That should go in the safe.” The vampire indicated the glass urn on the floor that now held a golden glow. “I want you to change the combination. Something that only you would ever think of. Right now that soul is the most important thing in our possession.”

“I understand. I’ll make sure it’s secured.” Wesley took up the small urn and headed for the office.

The only two remaining in the room, Angel moved to Buffy’s side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The Slayer slowly pried her fingers from the tattered and blood-soaked lapels of her Watcher’s coat and turned into the tepid, but caring, embrace of her first love.

“I wonder if it hurt this much?” She moaned into his chest.

Angel stroked her hair. “If what did?” he murmured.

“I wonder if it hurt him this much when he had to watch me die. When he had to look down at my body.” She let out a shuddering sob. “I mean… I watched Merrick get murdered right in front of me. And that was before death became part of my life. He was my Watcher… My teacher and friend. Why does losing Giles seem to hurt so much more? Is this what I put him through?”

Angel patiently waited for her to get her words out and to bring her sobs under control. “Buffy, this man was more that just a Watcher to all of you and you know it. And if you think the others aren’t grieving just as hard right now, they are. That’s why I gave them tasks to put their minds on.” He sighed deeply, a human habit he still held on to. “As for what he felt when you died... We were all drowning then. I could only be in Sunnydale to stand at the outskirts of your funeral, then I ran away. But I do know this. Giles died with his Slayer that day. And he likely would have followed you into the grave if not for what you left him.”

“What did I leave him?” Buffy whimpered.

“People who still needed his care. People who he loved as much as he loved you. And that’s the same thing he’s left you. The others need you now, Buffy. He meant as much to them as he did to you. Right now we have to make sure nothing goes wrong, for them.”

Buffy wiped her eyes. “You’re right. We’ll get him back soon. Let’s just focus on what needs to be done.”

“If we’re lucky,” Wesley said, emerging from the office, “It will take him quite a while to rise and come to full strength. The wounds his body needs to heal should slow him down a bit. Of course, he will need to feed as soon as he wakens.” He sighed. “That spell took quite a bit out of Willow. Let’s hope she can recover her power before he gains all of his.”

A small smile spread on Buffy’s lips. “You guys talk like Giles is gonna be uber-dangerous.”

Angel and Wesley exchanged sad and knowing glances. The vampire looked down to Buffy. “Let’s take him down to the guys so they can lock him up as soon as they’re ready. Then you and I can go out for a breather and restock my blood supply for two.”


	2. Almost Alive

2\. Almost Alive

“He’s awake!” Dawn screamed from behind the counter. She jumped up and down, pointing at the monitor she had barely left since the guys set up the camera to watch the make-shift basement cell. “Look, look he’s moving!”

Wesley and Angel exchanged worried glances.

“He’s hungry, right?” Dawn continued to dance. “I’ll take him some blood. I can’t believe he’s awake again.”

Wesley stepped calmly into the girl’s path. “Dawn… Dawn please listen to me. I know you’re excited. We all are. But, for now, I need you to promise me one thing. Promise you won’t go down there without someone with you.”

“But I’ve done it before. I’ve fed Spike.”

“I know… And, if all goes as planned, I suspect you’ll be perfectly safe with Giles as well. However, you must remember that, until Willow regains enough strength to perform her spell, that is not Giles.” Wesley’s heart sank as the teen’s joyful features darkened. He knew his words might have come out harsh, but making her understand was the only way the keep her safe.

“I get it,” she glared at the ex-Watcher.

Angel walked up beside Dawn with a mug of blood. “I’ll go with you. We can give him what he needs together.”

As they descended the stairs, Dawn again let her eyes scan over the conditions that the others had convinced her were necessary for her friend to be subjected to. He was hunched in a corner. Cold, cinderblock walls on each side and an unforgiving concrete floor beneath him. She wished they had let Xander build him a bunk, as he had begun doing. But everything he suggested was vetoed for being too dangerous. As if the shivering, whimpering creature before her now could have used anything as a weapon, let alone pull a steel slab away from a wall. 

At least they had let Xander help her change him into one of the clean shirts he had brought with him. She couldn’t bear to leave him as he was, in his blood-soaked, brown coat and the shirt that had been torn to shreds as he fought so fervently to protect her. All that did was highlight the gaping wounds he had suffered and remind her of how it felt to watch him take his last breath. The new shirt she had picked out was a dark, forest green and long sleeved with a slight v-neck. Dawn had always thought he looked good in that shirt, in a strong and healthy sort of way. Somehow it seemed to hide some of his weariness even when she knew how tired he really was. But, not tonight.

He was shackled there, in that cold corner. A large iron bracelet wrapped around each wrist and ankle, with heavy chains that led to four separate rings bolted into the wall. Gunn told her that if one failed the others would hold him. At the moment she didn’t care. She wanted to hold him, to take away the pain he was so obviously in, and tell him that everything would be back the way it should be soon. The last thing Gunn did was to paint a thick, yellow line on the floor. He called it the ‘point of no return’. It was to indicate how close they could get and stay out of the new vampire’s reach. She was sure that they figured they had to do that to keep her from doing something stupid. As if she was new to the whole vampire thing.

As they approached the line, Angel handed her the mug. Dawn was grateful. While Wesley was so worried about the plan going right, Angel seemed to see her need to help. Her need to do something, anything to care for Giles in some small way. She didn’t blame the others for being wrapped up in their own emotions now. Technically, they had all known him a lot longer than she had. But Dawn had already been alone to work out her own feelings about him in the time he was gone to see to Willow’s recovery. Over the years since her creation, the ones she counted as real, she had gone from being a nuisance kid to him to becoming a young lady in his care, just like the others. He was there when her mom died. He was there when Buffy died. She felt safe when he was around. And she hated him every time he left. It took her a long time to realize why. One day it occurred to her that hatred like that can only be felt for someone you truly loved. And that revelation was soon followed by another. There had been times he stayed for her, and times he left because of others. But she never asked him to stay at those times. And something deep inside told her that he would have, just for her.

“I know you’re in pain right now,” she heard Angel say soothingly. “The hunger is intense when you first wake up. Drink this and it will help.”

Dawn placed the mug on the floor and used a broom handle to slide it just over the yellow line. Giles looked at the blood and let out a miserable groan.

“It’s pig’s blood, Giles,” Angel urged. “You need the nutrients to heal correctly. I remember that shred of humanity that’s fighting to hold on inside you. And I also know I’m mostly speaking to the demon that’s trying to stamp it out. A man like you can hold on, Giles.” Angel put his hands on Dawn’s shoulders. “With so much to hang on for, I know you’ll make it. The real turning point for an infant vampire is the first taste of human blood. I promise, I will not let that happen to you.”

“Please, Giles,” Dawn added quietly. “I had to watch you die for me. Don’t make me watch you suffer anymore. Drink it for me.”

Giles picked up the mug and let the smell of the blood engulf his senses. His body roared for it. Every fiber of his being craved the first taste. The demon pounded in his head, howling for him to drink, to accept what he had become. But he held out for just a little longer.

“Angel,” he groaned. “I don’t want her to see…”

Angel understood. One of the hardest things for a vampire to learn to do was to hide what he really was while feeding. Most would never care enough to attempt it. But he understood exactly what Giles needed. Angel pulled Dawn to his chest and blocked her view. When he was sure she wouldn’t try to peak, he nodded to the new vampire.

Giles gave a grateful smile, then brought the mug to his lips. At the first taste of blood, his eyes transformed from gentle green to two pools of blazing yellow fire. Cold and heartless, they stared up at Angel as he drank. The dulled human teeth elongated into sharp fangs ready for tearing and devouring. His forehead bulged and formed into sharp ridges, distorting his kind features into the true visage of the demon that now resided inside the dead man.

Upstairs, Wesley watched on the monitor. He felt moisture creep into his eyes and a wave of nausea roll through his stomach. The ex-Watcher thought he had been ready for this sight. All his years of study and fighting, his time working closely with a vampire should have prepared him for the change. But this was a friend and respected colleague in the war against evil. The very evil he had let this man be subjected to. The fate worse than death for a true Watcher. His resolve was set firm. The one thing he could do for the man now was to make sure he had nothing to regret when his soul was returned. “I swear,” he whispered.

Wesley blinked his focus from the monitor as Buffy, Xander, and Faith came down the stairs from checking in on a still exhausted Willow. He simply announced, “We have another vampire in the building.”

 

***

 

It was the next afternoon when Faith bounded down the stairs to the basement. “Hey, Big G! Lunch time.”

Giles looked up from his spot in the corner. “Hello, Faith,” he sighed wearily. “Where are the others?”

“Why,” she put the hand not holding a bottle of blood on her hip and looked down at him with an exaggerated pout, “Just seeing me not enough to make you happy?”

He bowed his head with a shy smile. “Sorry, it’s only…”

An infectious grin spread over Faith’s face. “No worries, Big Guy. I know how it is to be cooped up with no one telling you what’s going on.” She tossed the bottle to the vampire Watcher who caught it reflexively, and slid down the wall to the floor just outside the yellow line. “Buffy went with Angel and his crew to deal with the matter he called her down here for in the first place. Dawn and Xander are finally sleeping. And Willow’s still knocked for a loop from that mojo she worked on you.”

“I don’t even know how long it’s been,” Giles whispered.

“Since you bit the big one?” Faith chuckled. “All the drama went down the night before last.”

“And now they left you all alone to baby sit.”

“Hey! What, you get yourself a set of fangs and all the sudden you think you’re too much for one Slayer to handle?”

“Not at all,” Giles glanced over and gave her his familiar quick half-smile.

“Good,” she laughed. “‘Cause I can still take you, Old Man. And don’t you forget it.” She sighed, and he fiddled aimlessly with the cap of his bottle. “Besides, I haven’t gotten a chance alone with you since… well ever. Not without the precious little Buffy around.”

Giles looked over at her with concern creasing his brow. “Do you still blame Buffy for what happened to you?”

“Nah,” Faith shrugged. “I had a lot of time to work through all that crap while I was sitting in prison. At least, until someone started sending the assassination squads after me and I decided it was time to move on.”

“And what did you come up with?” he gently prompted.

The Slayer pulled a knee up to her chest and held it. “We were who we were. It was inevitable for things to spiral, I guess.” She paused for a long moment, lost in thought. “I… I know you’re not him… really. I mean, we have the real Giles stuffed in a jar and locked in the safe upstairs.” The corner of the vampire’s mouth quirked as he filed away the piece of information. “But you do still have all his memories, right?”

“I do,” he nodded.

“Did you ever wonder how things would have been different if, maybe… If you had been sent to be my Watcher?” His understanding, green eyes watched her carefully as he waited for her to say all she needed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. My original Watcher was great. She was the first person in my life to actually give a damn about me. She gave me respect and kindness. Then she was repaid by being ripped to pieces right in front of me.”

“That wasn’t your fault. Kakistos was very powerful--”

“I know,” Faith waved him quiet. “It took two Slayers to take him down. But, sometimes in my dreams, it’s you instead. And you’re just a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, and I make it to you in time. Then everything turns out different…”

“Faith, you must remember, Buffy did lose her first Watcher as well. It is a Watcher’s greatest honor to lay down their life in defense of the Slayer.”

“True. But then she got you. And what did I end up with? Whimpering Wesley…” As Faith gestured up the stairs, Giles couldn’t contain a chuckle. 

“Wesley wasn’t ready to face the challenges you presented. You can’t blame him for that.”

“You could have,” she said softly, studying the floor. “I could tell there was darkness in you that you learned how to face and control. Who better to teach me the same thing? Buffy never appreciated what she had in you. Even when the Council showed what dumb-asses they really were, you were still there for her.”

“Well…” Giles reached for glasses that he’d forgotten he no longer needed.

“You do know that that’s what I got from Wilkins, right? Unconditional understanding and support. He may have turned me into his personal assassin, but at least I had a sort of ‘Giles’ of my very own for a while. That is, until Buffy took him from me, too.”

“In point of fact,” Giles said calmly, “It was I who set off the explosion that killed the Mayor.”

Faith chuckled, “Believe it or not, G, that makes me feel a little better.” She glanced at the full bottle in his hands. “What’s the matter? Not hungry?”

Giles stared at the bottle in his lap. “Quite hungry, actually. It seems that hungry is all I’ve been since my… um… awakening.”

“Oh,” Faith laughed with understanding. “Don’t be shy-boy in front of me now. You can’t show me anything darker than I’ve already seen staring into a mirror.”

“Faith, please…”

“Nah-uh, not moving.”

Giles shifted, turning to face away from the willful girl. A fierce groan escaped his throat at the slight movement. Faith rose to her feet and look down at him with concern and anger.

“Show me your chest!” she ordered.

“It’s nothing,” the vampire gritted his teeth. “I’ll be fine soon enough.”

“Goddamnit! She’s doing it to you again. She’s keeping you weak and letting you suffer just because she can.”

“It’s not… I don’t think she knows…”

“But I bet Angel does.”

“It’s for the best, Faith. I have to fight until Willow’s ready.”

“The hell!” Faith screamed, stepping across the safety line.

Giles could hear her heartbeat pounding in his ears. He could smell the sweet femininity of her tender flesh. His stomach twisted and howled within him, and his teeth ached for action.

“Stay away from me, Faith,” he roared, a deep and menacing sound. “I’ll eat you.”

Faith’s lips curled in a wicked grin. “I’ve had dreams where you’ve said that to me, too.”

“Please…” he shook with the effort of control and tried to hide deeper in the corner.

“All you need is a little pick-me-up, G. And I’ve been told there’s nothing better to build strong vamps than Slayer blood. Luckily, I have some of that. Then you’ll be good as new when Willow’s ready to let your soul put that demon in its place. Besides, you know Buffy’s done the same. Would probably do the same for any of her vampire boy-toys. She just won’t do it for the man who’s stood beside her all these years.”

“B-Buffy follow’s her heart…”

“And what do you think I’m doing?” She knelt beside him and wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders, holding him to her chest. The other arm she held up, offering her vulnerable wrist to his trembling lips.

Sweat began to bead on his brow as he tried to fight the urge to rip into the offered flesh. He could feel the warm blood in her vein pulsing against his sensitized lips. His head swam with waves of dizziness, every instinct in his body calling for the offered meal. Her heart pounded against him, between the soft pillows of her breasts. He closed his eyes, using all his mental strength to combat the sensory assault.

“Slayer, remember? I can take care of you,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear. “I won’t let you hurt me.”

Faith took her wrist and slid it sharply against one of the rough chains binding him, tearing a thin slit in her skin. She pressed the fresh, crimson droplets against his mouth. At the first taste, Giles’ eyes flared yellow and his forehead distorted. He grabbed onto her arm, burying his sharp fangs into her vein. She tasted of youth, and strength, and wildness. The drink made the beast within him roar with power. He was suddenly strong, and he was hard and wanting. Wanting everything he could take from her.

“That’s better, isn’t it,” she gasped in his ear, as he felt her writhe against him with just as much passion in the sharing.

Giles released his grip to growl in approval. Before he could bite down again, a fist collided with his jaw, knocking his head into the cinder-block wall. Everything faded.

“I told you I could take care of you.”


	3. Gone

3\. Gone

Faith was alone in the lobby, idly testing the feel and balance of the weapons in Angel’s cabinet, when Buffy, Angel and the others came back that night. She replaced the broadsword she’d been swinging and went to meet the exhausted looking bunch.

“Any trouble here?” Wesley asked as he walked toward the office to start some much needed tea.

“Five by five, Wes,” Faith smiled. “You guys look like you had some fun though.”

“I’m not sure ‘fun’ is the word I’d pick,” Gunn sighed as he plopped onto a couch.

Buffy smiled as Dawn came down the stairs and headed for the small refrigerator behind the counter. “Yeah,” she said to Angel. “Next time you invite me here for a party, make it the food and ice cream kind instead of the evil demon cult kind.”

Angel shrugged. “Client said we’d need a Slayer. I wasn’t expecting both you and Faith to show up.”

“Dinner time,” Dawn announced to no one in particular as she placed a mug into the microwave.

Cordelia sighed, “Yes, food sounds wonderful. I’m going to the kitchen to see what I can dig up.”

“I’ll go with,” Gunn jumped up and followed her.

Xander appeared on the stairs and stretched before strolling down. “Hey gang. Monster hunt go good?” Buffy and Angel let out a simultaneous groan. “That well, huh? I just checked in on Willow. She says the headaches are fewer now. Another day or two and she’ll be right as rain.”

“That’s a relief,” Angel sighed.

“Uh… Faith,” Wesley called as he set his teacup on the counter. “Did you turn this monitor off?”

“No, Wes. Never touched it.”

The ex-Watcher tried pushing the button, but nothing happened.

“Maybe it got unplugged or something,” Xander shrugged.

Buffy quickly scanned the room. “Oh God, where’s Dawn.”

Angel, Buffy, Wesley, Faith and Xander sprinted for the basement. As they reached the bottom of the steps, all froze in panic at the sight before them.

Giles was standing there, free and with a sympathetic smile curling his lips. He had Dawn in front of him, holding her tightly to him with one arm around her middle as the other hand played gently along her neck.

“You see,” he whispered soothingly to his captive, “I told you big sister would be here soon.”

Dawn’s eyes sparkled with tears as she stared at the petrified onlookers. “Buffy, I swear, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know, Dawn. Just stay calm.” She gazed intently into the familiar, but cold eyes of her Watcher. “Giles, you don’t want to do this. You would never hurt Dawn. You love her like your own heart.”

“You are correct, Luv.” The vampire said as he nuzzled his cheek against the girl’s hair. “Giles would give up his own life to see that no harm comes to this lovely, little flower. In fact,” he chuckled, “he did. Unfortunately for her, I am not he. I would rather eat her.”

Buffy took a half-step forward. “If you even touch her, I’ll dust you.”

“Touch her where?” the demon purred innocently as his hand slid slowly down over the girl’s hip and slipped between her thighs.

“Please…” Dawn whimpered, trying to squirm from his iron grip.

“Besides, Slayer, you’ve spent far too much effort trying to keep this body intact. I doubt you would let it turn to ash so easily.”

Buffy’s eyes shimmered with anger. “I will if you give me no other choice.”

“And I will accept that as a challenge.” Giles’ soft features grinned. “Truly, I only wanted to see all of your handsome faces before I made my exit. Oh, and Wes, the exact date and time of the midpoint of the battle of Turacht Nallah. Really, you should use more imagination, My Boy. Also, Faith, Dear… my deepest thanks.”

The vampire bent to place his lips to Dawn’s neck, causing everyone to gasp. His broad tongue appeared and traced the line of her jugular to her jaw. Without warning, he lifted her and threw her bodily into the group of terrified onlookers. They caught the girl, most falling back onto the steps. By the time they made sure she was safe and glanced back up, Giles had vanished.

Xander slid under the railing and went to check out the shackles. “These are still locked,” he announced. “And there’s no damage at all here. I can’t see how he could have gotten free.”

Angel lifted the trembling form of Dawn into his arms and started up the stairs. “None of that matters now. He’s gone.”

As the vampire set the girl on a couch, Wesley appeared form the office. “He took it,” the ex-Watcher commented evenly. “Turacht Nallah… He figured out my combination and stole the soul.”

“But, with what he was wearing, were could he have hidden it? It’s not like that jar was pocket sized.” Faith crossed her arms over her midsection.

Buffy turned on the other Slayer. “You were supposed to be watching him! How did you let this happen? You let him get away from us!”

“All I did was take care of him! You had him chained up down there all alone. Keeping him weak. He was in so much pain he couldn’t move without screaming!” Faith began to advance for a confrontation, but Angel caught her by the arm, causing her to wince and pull away.

“What do you mean he was in pain?” Dawn’s small voice asked.

“It was a safety measure,” Angel growled. “I decided it was needed to keep all of us safe, including him. Trust me, Giles was a strong man. He could take a little pain.”

“Don’t you dare,” Buffy rumbled. “Don’t you dare start referring to him in the past tense.”

Ignoring her, Angel caught Faith’s arm again and lifted the long sleeve of the uncharacteristically modest shirt she was wearing. “You fed him, didn’t you? You gave him his first taste of human blood, Slayer blood.”

“Like you’ve never tasted Slayer blood,” Faith defended, pulling her arm away and covering her wound.

“We had a chance until--”

The arguing was silenced by the sound of a teacup smashing against a wall. Wesley leaned hard on the counter, holding his weight on tensed arms. “This is all pointless now,” he said in a disturbingly calm voice. “He has grown to full strength. He has completely turned. And he has escaped our custody. These are the truths we must deal with, and trying to place blame will help nothing. Our course now is to prepare.”

“But shouldn’t we go after him? Try to bring him back?” Xander offered.

“Wes is right,” Angel sighed. “If he follows the normal behavior of fledgling vampires, he will come after the ones he loved in life first. The demon will try to purge every bit of Giles’ humanity. He’ll be back soon enough.”

“But,” Dawn squeaked quietly, “this is Giles we’re talking about. Wouldn’t he make like a gentle vampire? I mean, he could have just killed me. But he didn’t.”

“A calculation, I’m afraid,” Wesley came out from behind the counter. “Meant to throw us off, likely. Make us think there’s still hope. Make us hesitate at a crucial moment and give him the advantage.”

“He already has all the advantage he needs,” Angel muttered.

Faith frowned, “What do you mean?”

“She’s right,” Xander commented. “I’d count the odds in our favor. I mean, we got two Slayers, a vamp, a witch, and a Watcher-type on our roster. He’s still just one vampire.”

“He’s not just another--”

“If I may, Angel,” Wesley tried to stem his friend’s growing anger. “All of you must pay careful attention. It’s time you understand what you… what we have done. We have taken not just the body, but the memories, training, experience, and intelligence of Rupert Giles, and put it all in the hands of a demon. Not only that, but he has had the chance to study each and every one of us at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised if he can deduce our actions before we can figure them out ourselves.”

“Giles studied us?” Xander made a creeped-out face.

“It was the nature of the man. The nature of a Watcher.” Wesley sighed. “It’s what made him such a good teacher to all of you. He knew what you needed before you did.”

“Listen,” Angel added, calmer now. “Back before Darla turned me, I was nothing but a no-good, lay-about drunkard. Angelus took that personality and cut a swath of destruction across every continent on Earth for a hundred years. Think of what a demon can accomplish with a personality like Giles’.” The room fell quiet for a few moments.

“All we could find was bologna, but we made enough sandwiches for all,” Cordelia announced as she and Gunn re-entered with a tray of food. “Hey, what’s with the major bad vibage?”

“He’s gone,” Dawn whispered.

“What!?! You mean him, as in Him with the capital H!” Cordelia began to pace. “Oh God… I told you. I tried to warn you. This is bad… We’re all gonna die. He’s gonna be worse than you,” she shoved a finger at Angel.

“I know. That’s why, Gunn, I want you to take Cordy and get out of here. Take her to Caritas. Tell the Host, if he hides you out, I’ll owe him a big favor.”

“Like hell I’m going anywhere!” Cordelia screamed.

“I’m hoping you’ll be low on his hit list. If he manages to wipe us out, I need you two to know what’s going on.”

“Oh God,” Xander moaned. “I need to warn Anya. She stayed behind to work on fixing up the Magic Box. What if he makes his way back to Sunnydale?”

 

***

 

The demon who wore Giles’ body began to chuckle as he strolled down a dark, empty alley. Soon the chuckle grew into laughter, and the laughter into full body spasms that forced him to stop and lean against a wall for support. Foolish children. Foolish, naive, selfish children. Thinking they could catch the Devil in a snare and make him dance. But now they would learn. Their lessons would be slow and agonizing. He would teach them what it meant to fear once again. And with the last breath of each, they would apologize to the man they had done this to… The one spending eternity trapped in his little jar.

He continued on. This city was vast and unfamiliar, but he would soon learn it, soon know the ins and outs, the nooks and crannies of this land of life, land of prey. As he turned down yet another empty alley, he knew the morning would be approaching, but there was another part of the city to explore. The highways of his kind. The city beneath. He came to an open manhole and, without a second thought, dropped in.

He could hear them long before he came upon them. Laughing and trying to one up each other with stories of fights and conquests that would really only impress the more pathetic elements of young male society. He found their lair in one of the wider parts of a tunnel where concrete was crumbling and tree roots were growing through the roof and walls. Standing, leaning against the wall with hands in his pockets, in the shadows of the entrance he watched them and waited to be noticed. It looked as if someone had decided to vamp an entire frat house. A group of young, male bucks, forced together for company because no other group would have them.

After a couple more stories that threatened to put him to sleep, he stepped fully into the room and waited a bit more. Finally, he was detected.

“Hey! This is our spot,” the largest of the young bucks called. “Anyone wandering in here is askin’ to get beat down.”

“Oh, really,” he said calmly. “Would you please direct me to one who might offer said beating?”

“Wow, geezer has balls. I’ve got this one, Boys.” The young leader leapt off his perch as his gang laughed. He circled the older man, looking him up and down. “Geez, where did you dig yourself outta? What’s happened to the standards of our kind anymore? Now we’re turning guys who are already half dead?”

The intruder smiled cordially at him and politely commented, “I like your jacket.”

“Thanks,” the young leader snorted. “Took it off a biker. You know, one of those Hell’s Angels. Guy was like seven feet tall. Thought he was the toughest guy around. ‘Til he met me, of course.”

“Come on, Matt. Just take him out already.”

“Sorry, Dude. My boys are getting bored now. But, seems like you have some good taste, so I’ll give you this one chance to move on.”

His green eyes gleamed at the tingle of upcoming conflict. “Actually, I’ve come to make your ‘boys’ an offer. Perhaps, show them something they’ve never considered before.”

“And what kind of offer could you possibly make them?” Matt scoffed.

“I’m offering them a chance move up in the world. To follow a leader who will teach them how to be more than animals wandering the streets.”

“You expect my guys to just take off on me and follow some middle-aged wanna-be Dracula? What do you think you are, some kinda vampire savior?” The crumbling room filled with laughter.

“No,” the vampiric Watcher smiled. “Merely a teacher, of sorts. Besides, they’ll need someone to follow after I’ve dispatched you.”

Matt’s eyes blazed yellow, but his opponent’s appearance and demeanor never changed. “That’s it, you old bastard. You’ve officially worn out your welcome.”

The young buck lunged at the intruder, who calmly dodged the attack without even removing his hands from his pockets. “Thus the lesson begins,” he announced. “You see, the problem with vampires is being demonstrated right here. No training, no discipline.” A flurry of punches and kicks were being easily avoided. “Most of you were turned before you had the chance to learn anything during your short lives. And now, you depend on your improved strength and senses to get by. But, truly, you’re nothing but scavengers, preying on the weak and helpless. Thinking you are creatures to be feared when you are really just animals cowering in the darkness.”

A hand emerged from a pocket as the young vampire lunged again. He was sent past with a flick of the wrist and tumbled headlong into a wall with a howl. “You broke my arm, you fucker!”

“I know all of this because I’ve spent my life studying our kind. I’ve taught simple children to kill us one by one like the vermin we are.” Another attack, and with two hands and a twist that could have been found on a dance floor, Matt was minus his jacket and his strange opponent was wearing it. “However, those same children have made a crucial mistake. They have sent the teacher to you. I can show you discipline.” He slammed a fist into Matt’s middle, doubling the young man over. “I can show you true power.” A knee trust upward and there was the sound of cracking ribs. “I can turn you from scavengers into hunters. From animals into soldiers.” A kick sent their leader sliding across the floor. “We will be a force before which armies will tremble. And each of you will be able to kill a Slayer if and when you choose. I offer you this opportunity, and leave it up to you to join me.” One more rage filled attack from Matt and he was lifted and thrown onto one of the roots that penetrated the wall near the ceiling. A surprised look crossed his face as he disintegrated into dust.

When the stranger turned to leave, one of the others jumped to the floor, blocking his path. Soon all of the gang surrounded him. The vampire Watcher waited calmly as they studied him. Then the youth blocking him parted his wickedly curled lips to speak. “What do we call you?”

“For now, you may call me simply Teacher.”

 

***

 

Xander’s hands were shaking so badly that he couldn’t dial the phone.

“Here, let me,” Angel gently took the receiver from him. “What’s the number?”

“I can’t… If anything happens to her… I can’t remember…”

Buffy called gently. “Angel, try my house. Spike’s probably skulking around. He’s the only one there that might have a chance of protecting anyone.”

“Why would Spike be at your house?” Angel asked with an annoyed huff.

“Either you talk to him or I will.”

Angel pulled the phone away as Buffy reached for it and dialed the number.

 

“Summer’s residence.”

“Spike? Is that you?”

“Yeah. What’s it to ya?”

“It’s Angel. I need to talk to--”

“Great. Poof of the hour. Girl went to see you, Mate. What d’ya lose her already?”

“Would you just shut up and listen!”

 

Xander began to pace. “I can’t take this. I need to talk to Anya!”

“Here,” Cordelia leaned over the counter and retrieved a cellular phone. “Use this. It should work fine. Angel hasn’t figured out how to use it yet. Do you need me to dial for you?”

 

“Bloody hell. This was supposed to be a vacation for them. His death must be tearing the Little Bit apart.”

“I’m not finished, Spike. Sad to say, but I wish that was the bad news.”

 

“Hey, Anya? Can you here me, Hun?”

“I can hear you. Why are you calling me at this hour? I’m tired, Xander. A lot of work to do if I’m ever going to get my store back to how it was before Willow destroyed it.”

“I know. But this couldn’t wait. I need you to listen to me carefully.”

 

“They did what!?!” 

“You know how it is when Buffy sets her mind to something. Did you really expect them to let him go without a fight?”

“Listen. The old man never did like me much. Never gave him any reason to really. But even I know enough to give him the respect he deserved. Giles fought the good fight and did it well. He earned his right to rest in peace.”

“They acted out of love for the man. It blinded them to the possibility of the monster.”

“Yeah. Always a big blind spot with that lot.”

 

"Are you all fucking morons!?!"

“Please, An. If you were here… If you had seen… We just couldn’t let him go out like that.”

“But your plan failed, Xander. And now Buffy is going to have to hunt him down and kill him with her own hands. Did any of you even think of that? If these are the decisions you make, I’m getting more and more glad I didn’t marry you.”

“We get it now, Anya. It’s been explained to us very plainly. I needed to call to warn you because--”

“Because even though it was technically his fault that I ended up with this pathetic existence, we eventually became friends and he let me own the shop with him and we even kissed once and now he might want to kill me for fun?”

“Um… Yeah… Wait, you kissed him?”

 

“Do you want me to come out there and help you hunt him down?”

“Actually, they are worried that he might see Anya alone as an easy target. Personally, I’d feel better having some extra fronts out there in case… you know.”

“Sound plan. Just answer me one thing. Was it you? ‘Cause, I know we’ve got history and used to be mates and all… But, if you did this to that man, I’m going to have to dust you on his behalf. It’s the principle of the thing is all.”

“I’d expect no less. And, no, I refused. They went out and got someone who didn’t know any better.”

 

A sharp cry of anguish echoed through the building followed by an almost tangible shockwave of grief.

 

“What was that?”

“I think Dawn just told Willow. Listen, we’ve called Spike and he’ll help protect you. Just be careful until we get this thing resolved.”

 

“You know you’re going to have to be the one, right? Angel, none of them will be able to. They’ll hesitate, and he’ll kill them.”

“I know. We’ll try to keep you up to date. Just make sure to stay alert out there.”

 

Both phones were hung up, and silence filled the shock stricken room.


	4. Selective Recruiting

4\. Selective Recruiting

 

Four days later, a young lawyer rushed into the office of one of his associates in the large building that housed Wolfram and Hart. The young man plopped a file on the desk and ran his fingers through his short, brown hair.

“Take a look,” he said to the woman behind the desk. “It seems we might have a new player in town.”

The stern looking woman picked up the file and glanced through it. “So, someone’s been taking out vamps around town. That’s nothing new, Lindsey. What makes you think it’s not just some wannabe demon hunter vigilante? Or even Angel going on a bender, trying to assuage some of that guilt the poor boy carries around?”

Lindsey’s eyes narrowed at her dismissive tone. “Don’t take me for a fool, Lilah. If you’d bother to look closer, you’ll see that whoever this is isn’t just killing random demons. He’s targeting would-be warlords and gang leaders. And once he dusts the boss, the rest of them follow him. Whoever this is, they’re building a vampire army.”

“Interesting,” Lilah nodded. “Sounds like something that might be fun to watch. But why share this with me? It’s not like we play nice together.” She gave him a wry smile.

Lindsey slid a hip up onto her desk. “The way I see it, this can go down one of two ways. We can try to contact this new ‘vamp king’ and convince him to join our little family. If that goes well, I figure the rewards from the higher-ups will be worth sharing. If it doesn’t, well… it might give me a chance to escape while he’s killing you.”

Lilah chuckled. “My thoughts as well. And the second possibility?”

“If we let this go unchecked, whatever this new player has planned might interfere with what the Senior Partners are working on, and if we don’t bring it to their attention, they might blame us for any unforeseen problems. I couldn’t think of a better scapegoat.”

“I see,” Lilah smiled. “Does anyone else know about this?” 

Lindsey shook his head. “Just us.”

“Good. So, how should we go about making contact with this… possible asset?”

 

***

The mass of vampires that filled the dark warehouse watched, alert and poised for action, as a group of rival intruders strode confidently in and stood in a loose formation. The leader of the warehouse occupants smiled at the intruders and waved his men back from attacking, obviously amused at such audacity. It was easy to tell that this vampire lord was not just a loud, charismatic jock that attracted others like him. He bore the signs of a long life after death. Angry scars that hadn’t quite healed right, the poise and confidence of having seen and done more than most, the steady, steely gaze of one who knew all that was going on around him. He sat on his throne of packing crates and watched the newcomers carefully.

A young, well-muscled, dark-skinned vampire that stood a head taller than his fellows stepped out from the intruding number and addressed the room as a whole. 

“We have come with a message for all of our kind,” he projected in a strong, sure voice. “There is a new future for those willing to accept it. A new way to live for those willing to make the change. There is a new kind of master for those willing to embrace him. One who will lead you from hiding in shadows while the humans rule this world. One who will teach you to hunt the strong instead of merely survive on the weak. One who will crush the chaos of this goodness-riddled world and turn it into a world built only for us.”

There were scoffs and huffs from around the room. Their leader finally stood and waved the young herald quiet. “I’ve been told you might be paying me a visit. Must say, I did enjoy the spiel. Change the vampire, change the world. All very inspiring. But, I’m afraid you’ll find that my chaps are very loyal to me. And we don’t take kindly to those who go around killing our own kind. So, I suggest you shove off. Because, even though you do look like you could win a few fights, I’m not impressed.”

The young vampire looked down at his aggressor with an easy smile. “It’s not my place to impress you. It is only my honor to bring you the message.” His eyes began to glint with anticipation. “Perhaps your…um…heart will be swayed be his… words. May I present the Magister.”

An older, distinguished looking man emerged from the group, flashing a charming smile. At eye level with the vampire he intended to dethrone, he was not a small man. But, as he came to stand beside his athletic spokesman, the impression he gave seemed less than impressive.

“I do apologize for the enthusiasm of my young entourage,” he said cordially with his smooth British accent. The strange man lifted his right hand and stroked his herald’s cheek with the back of his fingers, as if rewarding a loyal dog. “They always get a bit excited when we are about to welcome new recruits.”

The vampire crime lord shook away the disturbing image before he spoke. “Listen, I don’t know if you’ve got a block or something, but I already said you and your… pets… can shove off. You don’t want to try my temper, Mag… whatever he called you.”

“Ah yes, the pretentious name,” the gentle face smirked. “I guess that’s what I get for having a professor of dead languages join the ranks. They always want to give everything Latin names. My young men have taken to using it for me, though, if you like, you may refer to me as Teacher.”

The other vampire looked at him and blinked. Suddenly, he began to roar with laughter, the others in the building joining in. As he laughed, Magister simply watched him with what could only be called a kind, sympathetic expression. The laughter soon died down and the vampire boss suddenly took on a very dangerous look.

“Are you planning to teach us something?” With a wave of his hand, his men began to close in on the smaller group. “I think I’d rather just refer to you as dust.”

On his threat to their master, the small group drew back unexpectedly, leaving the Teacher completely undefended. This was something the vampire lord didn’t understand, as his men moved into positions to lend him aid and protection.

The stranger cocked his head to the side and stated simply, “I like your coat.”

Behind him, his followers smiled and gave expectant and excited grunts and chuckles. All of this was even more disconcerting to their leader’s opponent than their previous behavior. But Magister’s followers had come to know that statement well. They had watched him strip opponents of this garment, one after another. It was his trophy, the skin of the slain beast, the crown of a fallen king. So they waited, knowing that their interference was far from needed and, even if they tried, it would only incur his dangerous wrath. 

The eyes of the older vampire lord suddenly flashed with fear as he began moving back. He shouted an order, and six of his men descended on the intruder from all directions. Magister dropped to one knee and threw his hands out to each side. With a shouted incantation, he was encircled by a blaze of fire that his six attackers could not hope to avoid. As the bright flash faded in the dark room, he stood alone and slowly advanced on his intended target.

“What the hell are you?”

“I like your coat,” he repeated in a low growl.

“My coat? Yeah, sure,” the older leader was visibly shaking as he quickly shrugged out of the dark, heavy overcoat, “It’s yours.” He began to look more confused as the vampire sorcerer before him did not immediately take it. With a sudden realization, he dropped to his knees offering the garment up with both hands. “It’s all yours.”

A cheer erupted from his followers as the Teacher took the offering and turned to return to them. He tossed the won tribute to his young lieutenant, and muttered, “I cannot abide cowards.”

As if on a cryptic order, a stake flew past, nearly grazing his arm, and drove into the fallen vampire’s heart. Even before their leader turned to dust, the new recruits were following their strange new master out the door.

 

***

 

“What is he doing?” Wesley asked Angel as he slammed a newspaper onto the stack that covered the counter. “Attacks on a university? Only professors and athletes targeted. The police don’t even know if anyone was killed because no bodies were left behind. Does any of this make sense to you?”

“They’re all dead,” Angel whispered sadly. “All turned. He’s making soldiers. Selectively recruiting for strength, skills, and intelligence. He’s building his army.”

“But it doesn’t make sense. Why hasn’t he attacked us yet? I thought we’d have an opportunity to stop him before he started killing innocent people.”

“He finally has the chance to go into a battle with the odds on his side. It’s something the man never had in life and he’s savoring the power of it. Trust me, he knows we’re watching and waiting for him. I just wish I could find him first and spare Buffy and the others.”

 

***

 

“What do you think, Boss? It’s perfect, right?”

The vampire Watcher looked up at the castle-like structure of the large hotel. “Is the building as sound as it appears?”

“Solid stone. The story is some rich freak a while back decided he wanted a castle. So he bought one in the old country and shipped it here piece by piece to be rebuilt into this place. Never survived to move in though. But, I figured, where better than a castle to serve as the home of our immortal king.”

His features slipped into a soft smile at the unabashed flattery. “It seems easily defendable and large enough to accommodate our needs. You did well, My Boy.” The young vampire visibly shivered at the praise. “Now, shall we make ourselves at home?”

The sun had set outside, and the lobby was busy as employees worked to please their visitors. An assortment of patrons hurried about the large space, men and women in business attire, couples on holiday, and families who looked as if they’d saved for years to afford such a decadent place. All different, yet their reactions very much the same as the room quickly filled with strange and dangerous looking creatures. 

“Please,” the kind, accented voice filled the room, “there’s no need to fear. My children will not harm you. We have only come to see about making this fine establishment our new home.”

True to their master’s word, the others simply stood around the perimeter of the room and watched.

“Hey!” a uniformed woman approached. “I don’t know what’s wrong with these… people. But you look like trouble to me, and I don’t like trouble in my…”

The manager froze and her words failed as she was captured by the intense green gaze. “I’m sure you do your job quite well,” the Teacher said softly, “but this place is no longer yours.”

“Yes sir,” she mumbled numbly.

The vampire’s gaze fell upon another in the room. This man was much older. He wore a plain green sweater and his short grey hair was covered by a cap that proudly displayed the insignia of a battleship. He leaned on his cane and regarded the newcomers with much more annoyance than fear.

Magister smiled cordially at him. “I sense a warrior in our midst.”

“You could say that, young man. Career navy.”

“Then you are owed much thanks. Those who willingly stand to fight against the evils of this world seldom get the praise they are due.”

“Didn’t do it for praise.” He swung his cane around indicating the strange newcomers. “And I sure didn’t do it to spend what’s likely to be the last vacation of my life being harassed by you and your gang of miscreants.”

“Quite right. You may go about your business with no interference from us. May I ask one question before you go?” The old man gave a quick nod. “Will you permit me to know what your NEC was?”

His brown eyes lit up at the use of the military term. “A fellow soldier, are you?”

“In a way.”

“I was a radio man. Spent my first couple of tours on battleships. Finished out my career as an instructor. I can still do anything you’d ever want with a radio. The bastards retired me when my hands started shaking too much to work with all the tiny components.”

“But I see a well worn wedding band on your finger. Surely, you are happy to spend the rest of your days with your lovely bride.”

The old man sighed heavily. “She was certainly the best part of me. Married me when she was seventeen and followed me around the world with not so much as a grumble. I always meant to bring her here. Been over a year now since she died on me.”

“I am sorry for your loss.” The old man shrugged. Magister stepped in closer, his voice low and sensual. “They took away your students and your wife has gone on ahead of you. It seems wrong that a man such as you should live out his days with nothing, when you obviously have so much left to give.”

The old man cleared his throat, emotion threatening to show through his tough veneer. 

“What if I could offer you more? What if I could offer you a never ending line of students eager to soak up the knowledge you can give them? What if your legacy and teachings can go on forever in this world? And what if, at the same time, I can send your soul to reunite with your lovely wife? You will never feel the pain of losing her again.”

The old man chuckled, but the tears in his eyes said he wanted to believe the penetrating and seductive words. “How do you propose to do all that?”

The vampire raised a beckoning hand, and a beautiful, young, blond woman approached them. “My Dear, will you please show our new friend here the wonders of our immortal life?”

“I would be pleased to, My Lord.” She raised her chin to receive a sensuous kiss from her master before turning her full attention on the enraptured old man. 

Magister turned his attention back to the room. “Let this be today’s lesson. Never underestimate value based on appearance. Wisdom is just as important as strength.”

“Yes sir,” his followers shouted as one from around the room.

“Now go. Turn those who would be useful. Feast on the rest. Clear the building.” He disappeared into an elevator with a wicked grin as the glorious sounds of fear and death echoed throughout the lobby.

 

***

 

Angel rushed out of the office with a loud bang, making Dawn jump and stopping the sparring match between Buffy and Faith. Well… Faith was sparring, Buffy was trying to work out some of the fear and anger balled up in her chest.

“I just got a call from Cordy,” Angel answered their questioning looks. “She’s had another vision.”

Buffy swallowed hard, the drink she had taken from her water bottle going down her tight throat like a rock. “Was it about… him?” she asked with trepidation.

Angel nodded slowly.

Dawn sat up straight, preparing for the coming news. “What did she see?”

“Cordy said it wasn’t clear. She sensed that the city around her was burning… And she saw a great battlefield, us on one side and Giles surrounded by vamps on the other. We fought, and at the end we were all dead… or worse, and he was moving on to the rest of the world.”

“So it seems you were right,” Wesley said soberly as he descended the stairs, closing the book he’d been reading. “He is building an army.”

Unable to find a suitable release for her anger, Buffy threw her water bottle across the room. “So your ‘Powers’ send a vision telling us he’s got help and we’re all gonna die. Two things we already know. What good are they?”

“There was more,” Angel said in a rush of breath. “According to Cordy, when the vision seemed to finish, everything rewound and played again. Only this time we won.”

Wesley removed his glasses. “What was the difference?”

“The only thing she could tell was that there was one more person standing with us. She tried her best to make out who it was, but she said every time she looked straight at them it was like everything went haywire, the whole vision turned to chaos.”

“Chaos,” Buffy repeated in a whisper.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Wesley questioned.

She shook her head, “I don’t know.”

“Well…” the ex-Watcher replaced his glasses. “Willow and I have been making progress upstairs. We will soon be ready to attempt a spell to locate him. The one problem is that we are not sure how his energies were changed at the time of his…uh…death. However, it should be simple enough to find the location of the soul, and thus him. That is, assuming he has it with him and has not… destroyed it or anything.”

Dawn couldn’t restrain a quiet sob at the thought. Sliding down next to her, Faith wrapped an arm around the girl. “No worries, Chick. Never gonna happen. Even if he is just a glow-worm in a jar right now, our big guy has more guts than any demon out there.”

“I know,” the girl whispered. “But what if the vision is right? What if we figure out who this other person is and we win? Does winning mean we get Giles back, or we kill him?”

“I don’t know about you,” Faith grinned, “but getting our super-Watcher back is the only thing I’ll ever count as a win.”

Wesley approached Angel and whispered low enough to keep his thoughts from the others. “You said that we were all dead or worse… I’m assuming that tells us he means to make… allies out of some of us. Do we know who he’ll be targeting to join him?”

“Cordy didn’t say.”

He glanced back at the three girls in the room and sighed. “We don’t even have the luxury of assuming he’s thinking like the Giles we knew anymore.”

 

***

 

“What’s up with you, Justin? You’re so jumpy tonight.”

The young man with jet black hair smiled at his friend. “I don’t know. You ever get the feeling you’re being watched?”

“Of course you’re being watched, you’re the Sensei.”

Justin glanced around at the members of his advanced class with pride. Some he had already seen achieve the honor of earning their black belts; most were on the verge of doing so. After devoting all his life to the study of martial arts, it still amazed him how much pleasure it gave him to pass that knowledge on to children in a city where he had never expected to end up.

“It’s not like that,” he whispered. “I know how it feels when the class is paying attention. This started earlier this evening during the beginner’s class and hasn’t gone away.”

“I think you’re paranoid.”

“Hey. Just because I made you my assistant, doesn’t mean you’re too good to run laps.”

The tall girl straightened her white tunic under her black belt and bowed with a smile. “Pair up for sparing!” she called.

A large, plate-glass window at the front of the dojo shattered and three men with strangely distorted faces rushed in.

“Get them out!” Justin ordered as he halted the progress of the first with a spinning leg sweep.

“What about you? These freaks must be on drugs. You can’t fight them by yourself!”

“Get the kids out! They’re more important!”

She quickly obeyed, ushering the students out the back door as their Sensei defended their exit. Justin continued to fight, holding his own against the three vampires with a variety of effective fighting styles. He was quickly getting frustrated, these guys kept coming back from blows that would have knocked a normal person out, when he noticed a strange gentleman leaning against the wall and watching the fight.

With a snap of the stranger’s fingers, the vampires halted their attack and stepped back. He slowly walked up, letting the young Sensei catch his breath.

“It is an admirable quality in a man. The willingness to give up his life for the sake of his charges,” the gentleman said, as if to a friend.

Justin looked at him suspiciously and panted, “I have no intention of giving up anything tonight.”

Magister grinned. “Yet you send all possible backup away and stand to face multiple and superior opponents alone.”

A small smile settled on Justin’s lips. “Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.”

“Sun Tzu,” the vampire chuckled. A distant look passed over his face. “I believe none of my students have ever quoted The Art of War to me.”

“Yes, well… I find the student to be a good reflection of the master. What are you people anyway?”

Magister laughed out loud. “True. But I intended to remedy their shortcomings very soon.” He slowly circled the young man. “These are mere foot soldiers. I have no doubt that if they’d not been called off, you would have found a way to defeat them. One tiny bit of knowledge that might help you, though.” He tapped his chest with a pair of fingers. “A bit of wood through the heart. The most efficient way to dispatch one of our kind.”

“You mean like a vampire?” Justin laughed.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now. The way you patiently correct and instruct your students. The way you subtly demand their attention.” His green eyes sparkled as he stopped in front of the young Sensei. “I have been looking for one like you. I’ve found willing and skilled soldiers, but a commander to stand at my side has been hard to come by.”

“What, so you attacked my class to test me? If you wanted to know my skill, why not try me yourself?”

Magister smiled. “To quote Sun Tzu once more… Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”

“And yet, when I look at you my mind drifts more toward Gandhi,” Justin smirked. “It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.”

“Your abilities of perception defy your youthful looks.” The gentleman bowed. “Shall we start with Judo?”

The vampire attacked and Justin held him at bay with an array of skillful holds and throws.

“Tae Kwan Do!” the younger man shouted, and both shifted to a style consisting mostly of high aerial kicks.

The vampire agilely flipped away from a strike yelling, “Capoeira!” His three followers cheered as both combatants performed beautiful, dance-like flourishes of acrobatics.

Justin tumbled to a wall and grabbed a pair of short, wooden staffs. “Nguni Stick-fighting!” Magister quickly found another pair of weapons and defended expertly against the onslaught of fast and sharp attacks. Finally, an impossibly hard strike snapped a staff and the weapons were thrown aside.

“Krav Maga!” the vampire roared, and they descended into what looked to be the  
most deadly effective street fighting any of their spectators had ever seen.

The action suddenly halted with Justin wrapped up in the long arms of the larger man standing behind him. It was the most unbreakable hold he had ever felt in his life. He panted hard for breath and was amazed that his opponent didn’t seem to be breathing at all.

“I have to hand it to you,” he managed between gasps. “A man that looks like you shouldn’t be able to handle all of that. But I still don’t know what you want from me.”

Magister’s whisper was low in his ear. “I want you to be my strong right arm, to stand beside me for all eternity and lead my army to victory. I want you to be mine. Because there is one more thing I remember from The Art of War. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.” The demon showed his true face as his teeth grew into sharp fangs. “I mean to sire you, and you will stand with me as a son.”

Justin trembled at the first prick of the fangs carefully piercing his neck and almost tenderly beginning to drain the life from his body. The fiery, yellow eyes of his sire grew bright with joy as he feasted on the young, strong blood. He smiled around his fangs when the young man began to take the offered blood from the cut on his arm just before going limp in his embrace.


	5. Wicked Trouble

5\. Wicked Trouble

Xander held the shaking form of Dawn in his strong embrace. Seconds after her scream echoed through the building, Angel, Wesley, and Buffy sprinted into the lobby from all directions. Each pair of trained eyes scanned the area for danger, but found nothing.

“What happened? What is it?” Buffy rushed to help calm her sister.

Xander’s voice trembled as he held Dawn’s head securely to his chest. “Dawnie here was… We were getting a little restless, what with the waiting and all. So, I decided it was a good time to give her that crossbow lesson I’ve been promising. We went to the weapons cabinet to pick one and…” His voice seemed to get stuck in his throat.

Angel and Wesley approached the cabinet and carefully peered inside. “It’s empty,” Angel looked at his associate with confusion.

Wesley’s attention was pulled to the floor as he stepped in a slippery substance. He crouched to examine it and whispered, “Blood.”

“Yes. Smells very fresh, too.”

All eyes went to Xander, then slowly followed his gaze to the high ceiling above them. There, they discovered the sight that had torn the blood-curdling scream from the girl. All of the sharp bladed weapons had been driven into the ceiling where they held in place the spread eagle body of a man in a dark suit. The corpse had been displayed like some giant bug pinned to cardboard for study.

Wesley jumped back as a large drop of blood fell toward him. “My God,” he breathed.

“No,” Angel whispered, “this is not the work of God.”

“Can we go back to the waiting part?” Xander whimpered.

Buffy moved to get a better look at the corpse. “I don’t understand. I’ve never see this guy before. Does he plan to terrorize us by leaving random corpses around for us to find?”

“I don’t think so.” Wesley cleared his throat. “We’ve encountered people similar to this man in our work here. This is a message for us. And I believe it has a two-fold meaning. First, he wants us to know he hasn’t forgotten about us. And second--”

“Wolfram and Hart are trying to court him,” Angel looked to the ex-Watcher for confirmation of the theory.

Wesley nodded. “And I think it’s safe to assume he’s rejected their first offer.”

“Geez,” Buffy mused, gazing at the ceiling two stories above her. “How did he get the guy up there in the first place?” A sob from Dawn brought her back to the situation at hand. “Xander, take Dawn upstairs. Hang in Willow’s room for a while and let us handle this.” The boy began to move, careful to keep the body from his young friend’s view. “Wes, find Faith and go get whatever ingredients you still need for that locator spell. Be sure you guys get back before dark. If he’s upping his game, I want the others to have as much protection as possible.”

“We’ll be as quick as we can.” He rushed up the stairs the find the other Slayer.

Finally, she spoke to the vampire as they both stared upwards. “So… How do you suggest we clean this mess up?”

 

***

 

“I thought you said he was one of the most capable agents we had.”

“He was. Apparently, vampires don’t abide by the ‘don’t kill the messenger’ rule,” Lilah smiled sarcastically at the handsome, young lawyer across from her.

“Neither do we,” Lindsey grinned. “Just tell me it wasn’t a total loss.”

“It wasn’t a total loss… The tracking chip and follow team we placed on him gave us a good idea of where he found our vamp. But, what’s better is where the body ended up.”

Lindsey opened the report from the surveillance team and took out a picture. “So this is our guy, huh? Funny, he doesn’t look like the normal ancient and powerful type that usually goes for the big plays.”

“That’s because he’s not. When I found out he took our agent’s body and left it at Angel’s place, he has guests by the way, it wasn’t long before I figured out who this mystery vamp is. What you are looking at, Lindsey, is what’s left of a man named Rupert Giles. He is, or was, the Watcher to the current Slayer, and until almost a week ago, was alive and well.”

“You’re kidding me. This vamp is less than a week old and others are already following him?” Lilah nodded to him slowly with a knowing look in her eyes. “A Watcher turned vampire,” he chuckled, “the Council must be wetting themselves by now.”

“That is precisely why we have to step up our efforts right now. We need to bring this guy in before they get a chance to take him out. I mean, the possibilities with what this beast knows… The Senior Partners would love to get into his head.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Lindsey said cautiously. “It will be risky because if we lose the asset before she completes her purpose there will be hell to pay… literally. This vamp king obviously won’t respond to a human, so what if we send him a vamp queen.”

Lilah chuckled. “Wow, looks like you may be growing a pair, Lindsey. You’re right, if he kills her, we’ll be toast.” She picked up the phone. “Yes… Can you please inform Drusilla that I’d like to speak to her?”

 

***

 

“Shh, Dawnie. It’ll be all right.” Willow rocked the younger girl in her arms and stroked her hair. “We’ll all get through this.”

“I know,” Dawn sniffed the last of her tears. “It’s just… how could he do something like that? It’s so not like Giles.”

“That’s because it’s not him.” She stared into the youngster’s eyes, willing her to understand. “Until we can put things right, it’s not Giles. No matter what he does, you have to keep telling yourself that. Over and over.” Willow placed a hand over Dawn’s heart. “You have to protect him here. That’s where this demon will try to hurt Giles the most. He’ll try to take our memories of him and the love we all have for him. Don’t let him, Dawn. Don’t let him take Giles away from you.”

“She’s right,” Xander sat between them and put his arms around both girls. “We owe that much to the G-man. We all know him well enough to know when it’s not him.”

Dawn let out a giggle at his muddled, yet comforting sentiment.

“It will be over soon,” Willow smiled. She pointed at a sacred circle she had set up on the floor. “As soon as Wes gets back with the final ingredients, we’ll do the spell and go get him back.”

 

***

 

Dawn and Xander came down the stairs just as Buffy set the last of the thoroughly cleaned weapons back in its place. Angel was speaking to her.

“I know of an oracle that may be able to help decipher Cordy’s vision. The sun will be setting in a little. I’ll go there and hit as many contacts as I can tonight to see if they’ve heard if he’s stopped moving around and settled anywhere yet.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Buffy said in a subdued voice. She turned to the others. “Wes checked in. They’re on their way back and should be here any minute.”

“Good,” Xander smiled. “Willow sent us down to check on that. I think she feels better now and can’t wait to get in on this.”

“That’s great. At this point she’s our big gun.” Buffy placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder and was reassured with a strong, determined smile. “I’m gonna walk Angel out and seal the sewer access behind him. You guys hang tight ‘til Faith and Wes get back.”

“We’ll be ready for them,” Dawn called as the Slayer and vampire headed for the basement.

The sun had set when Wesley pushed open the doors. “We got back as soon as we could,” he smiled at Dawn. “Anything new?”

“Not really. Angel’s headed out for the night and Willow’s been waiting for you upstairs.”

Faith chuckled. “I’ll run the stuff up to her. I know how she feels. I’ve been itchin’ to get this rumble started, too.” She sprinted up the stairs, but was stopped before she could go any farther. “Hey!” she yelled as four large vampires tried to grab her.

At the same moment, Wesley was wrapped up by two that had appeared behind him and Dawn struggled in the arms of one more. The girl screamed as the monster that held her lowered his fangs to her neck.

“Wait,” a gruff voice yelled, “Our orders! They belong to the boss.”

“Screw the orders,” Dawn’s captor hissed. “I’m hungry.”

Faith vaulted the banister, jumping from the second floor, and raced toward the struggling girl, knowing she’d never get there in time. She slid to a halt as a large hand roughly grabbed the hair at the back of her target’s head and pulled the fangs away from vulnerable flesh. Before anyone could blink, the strong hands had broken the offending vampire’s neck and twisted with enough force to decapitate him, leaving only dust.

“Justin,” Dawn’s savior called in a conversational tone loud enough for everyone to hear as he dusted off his hands. “Tell me, were my instructions in any way unclear?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. That was a new recruit. He never should have been allowed on this raid.”

“In future, let us make sure that either you or I meet each of our recruits to ensure stability and reliability before important endeavors.”

Dawn turned to look at her rescuer and sighed, “Giles.”

He smiled at her, then motioned Justin to hold her. Magister took a stumbling step forward as a heavy weight collided with his back. Strong arms wrapped around him and attempted to hold onto him with all their might.

“You got a jump on me, Xander. I’m proud of you.” He stood up to his full height, dangling the young man’s feet in the air. “But where is your stake?”

“We don’t want to have to kill you,” Xander begged breathlessly in his ear. “Just stop doing all this and come home. We can fix everything.”

“And what if I think there’s nothing to be fixed.” The vampire flexed his arms out and Xander flew back, colliding with a wall. He slumped against it, cradling his left arm.

“That’s enough,” Faith called, striding toward him. “Don’t make me have to do something I don’t want to, Big Guy.”

Magister held his hand up, palm facing towards her and called, “Serpens!” From his palm flowed a stream of energy in the form of a huge, constricting snake. The magickal snake wrapped itself around Faith and held her fast, lifting her a few inches off the floor.

He approached her and caressed the snake’s head as she squirmed. “I wouldn’t struggle if I were you. The more you fight, the tighter she will squeeze until you won’t be able to breathe at all. And that would cause me much distress.” He leaned into her and inhaled deeply, lightly nuzzling at her neck, and whispered, “You smell of mother’s milk to me, Faith. You nourished me when I was weak. I have not forgotten your gift.”

Faith tried to fight down her body’s startling reaction to this level of intimacy with him. “You know I’d do it for you again,” she whispered back. “Come back and I’ll take care of you just like I promised.”

The vampire shook his head slowly. “It is you who will come to me. I know your darkness cries out to join with me. When you are ready to shrug off this charade of repentance, you will find me. And I will take your hand and show you the world you were meant for.”

As he spoke, Faith could not pull her eyes from his intense, green gaze. His words seemed to wash over her and fill her with desires she didn’t even know she could still feel. He began to back away from her and all she could do was nod.

“Now,” he announced, turning to Dawn, “where’s my prodigal Slayer?”

Dawn shuddered as he looked at her with cold eyes. “Sh-she should be back any second,” the girl squeaked.

“Let’s see if we can hasten her return, shall we?”

“Giles!” Wesley yelled, having given up his attempts to escape the vampires that held him. “Leave the child alone. If your intent here is to cause more pain, do what you will to me.”

“I am impressed, Wesley,” the demon chuckled. “You have come a long way from begging for your kneecaps. I feel I should be proud.” He lightly ran his fingers down Dawn’s arm and brought her delicate left hand to his lips to grace it with a soft kiss. “You forget I too was once burdened with your calling. You will do as we all must. Feel the true pain of having to watch.” With a smile at Dawn he whispered, “Now, call your sister for me.”

“B-Buffy!” Dawn cried with all the trembling voice she could muster.

The vampiric Watcher clicked his tongue. “I think we can do better than that, Dearest.” He slowly, caressingly wrapped two thick, rough fingers around her pinky and yanked to the side.

The girl’s scream of agony echoed through the building. Softly stroking her hair, the demon whispered soothing sounds to her. After several moments, he moved to her ring finger.

Dawn began to shake uncontrollably. “No… no more… please,” She whimpered. A quick snap and her cries brought tears to all who were helpless to stop her pain.

“Giles!” Buffy shouted from the basement doorway. “I’m here, leave them alone!”

Before turning, Magister whispered, “Sleep now,” to his young victim and she slumped unconscious into Justin’s arms. “Ah, Buffy… What a pleasure it is that you could finally grace us with an appearance.”

“I’m the Slayer. Everything that happened to you is my fault. If you need revenge, take it out on me.” Her eyes quickly scanned the room, automatically calculating the risks from the multiple vampires.

“Don’t mind them,” her Watcher chuckled. “They are just here to observe the session.”

“What session?” Buffy asked with confusion.

“You see, I was making out my schedule earlier and realized I’ve been neglecting my duties. I believe it’s over a week since I’ve given you a proper workout. So, I came to make sure your training stays up to par.”

“If I’d known this was a social call, I would have started some tea,” the Slayer ground out stiffly.

“What should we start with tonight?” Magister shed his coat and strode to the weapons cabinet. “These have all been recently cleaned. Wonderful job,” he chuckled.

“Giles…” Buffy began cautiously.

“I do wish you would stop calling me by that name.” He looked back at her, letting an angry blaze creep into his eyes. “Your Watcher is dead. I have a new name now.”

“Magister!” his followers suddenly chorused.

He chuckled, regaining his sense of humor as Buffy stared around the room with a blank expression. Wesley cleared his throat. “It’s Latin…” he clarified for the others. “It means Teacher.”

“Yes,” the vampire grinned. “Not the most inventive, I know. But they seem to like it. Now, I think it’s time we returned to the quarter staff.”

He tossed a fighting staff to Buffy who caught it easily. “Last time we tried this I knocked you on your ass repeatedly, Old Man. You sure you want witnesses?”

“I fully expect you to try to kill me for what I’ve already done.” He bowed and held his weapon at the ready. “Shall we?”

Buffy reacted just in time to block his first blow and went on the offensive. She tried combinations that had been tried and true against him before, but he only blocked every move with unerring accuracy, grinning all the while. As she began to feel the first pangs of frustration, she mentally shook herself. Realizing she was holding back as she always had so as not to hurt Giles, she let out a grunt, throwing her full strength behind each blow.

“Better,” he used his instructor’s voice. “Now, show me what you’ve learned over the years.”

The Slayer suddenly found herself on the defensive. It was all she could do to block his powerful strikes. She was being forced back, and spun away to regroup. He slowed patiently to let her come at him again. Buffy leapt forward.

“You’re still dropping your guard when you go to the left,” he said as he drove his staff into her ribs and sent her flying across the room. 

Buffy regained her feet. Her staff was nowhere to be seen, so she reached for a short sword that was displayed on the wall and rushed back toward him. “You know, you’re starting to get on my nerves. And by the way, as far as I’m concerned, my Watcher is still alive, and he’s going to kick your ass right after I’m through.”

Magister laughed as he parried her slash and caught her by the throat in his iron grip. With one arm, he lifted her and threw her. She collided with a support column, half way up, and crashed to the floor in a heap. “I am now realizing why you seemed to enjoy our sparring sessions so much more than I did. There’s not nearly so much pain when the match is equal.”

Buffy collected her sword and ran at him. “Stop saying I hurt him,” she screamed with tears in her eyes. Not realizing he had opened up his defenses, she stumbled back in shock as her sword stayed behind, securely lodged in his chest.

“You see, Slayer,” he said calmly. “This is why you will lose. Instead of harmlessly stabbing me, you could have used this weapon to take my head and ended this nightmare once and for all. No wonder you were such a disappointment to him.” In one swift motion he pulled the sword from his chest and threw it, piercing her thigh. The moment she hit the ground he was on her. “Don’t worry, Luv,” he whispered in the ear of the girl pinned beneath him, “Your time has not come yet. I think he would want you to suffer as he did. But don’t worry,” he stroked his fingers tenderly through her hair. “I will give you the rest you deserve very soon.”

Buffy could barely see through the tears in her eyes as she felt his weight leave her. On his nod, the rest of the room cleared of vampires. Wesley was quickly at her side.

“Thank you all for a most enjoyable evening, but I only came to retrieve something precious I had left behind.” Magister walked to the counter and waved his hand over a small area. The urn containing Giles’ soul appeared and he picked it up. “Just a tiny glamour. I take it the lovely Willow is still recovering. If she’d have come down, she would have seen through it easily.” He smiled at the murderous look on Wesley’s face. “I’ll be seeing you…” And, in a bright flash of white light, he was gone.

“Faith!” Wesley shouted.

“Already on my way, Wes” she replied, bounding up the stairs.

The ex-Watcher helped Buffy sit up. When she had braced herself, he pulled the short sword from her leg. He then ran for the first aid kit.

Faith appeared at the second floor banister. “She’s nowhere to be found. Looks like the soul wasn’t the only thing he came back for.” She sprinted down to help Xander with Dawn. “And what’s with all the creepy parlor tricks? Did you guys know he had that kind of voodoo workin’ for him?”

“No,” Buffy winced as Wesley tightened a bandage around her leg. “I guess we know for sure now that Cordy’s vision wasn’t exaggerating about him kicking our butts.” She looked up and started giving orders. “Wes, I need you to take Dawn and Xander to the ER. Get them looked after.”

“What about you?” he whispered.

“Slayer healing. I’ll be all good. Besides, Faith and I are going to track those vamps. He was the only one that took the magick express. The others should be easy enough to follow.”

Wesley took Dawn from Faith’s arms. He smiled sadly down as the semi-conscious girl kept murmuring, “Not him... It’s not him...”

“Sorry, B.” Faith sighed. “But you’re pretty much hobbled right now. I’ll move faster alone.”

“You’re right. Just track them, though. You’re outnumbered so be careful.”

“You know me,” Faith yelled as she sprinted out the door.

“Are you sure you don’t need the hospital?” Wesley asked, preparing to leave.

“I have to make a phone call. I think I’ve figured out who was in Cordy’s vision.”

“Another friend?”

“No. An enemy.”


	6. The Art of Seduction

6\. The Art of Seduction

 

Willow awoke on a large four-posted, canopy bed. The comforters and pillows piled beneath her made her feel as if she was drifting on a cloud. She felt nothing but peace and comfort. This seemed strange to her. But why? Thoughts and memories slowly met each other in her mind and she suddenly realized that getting here wasn’t among them. She had been in her room at Angel’s, waiting for the others. She was working on a spell to find the vessel, to retrieve the stolen soul. Then she heard shouting, and someone grabbed her, and blackness. She had been kidnapped.

With a start, she sat bolt upright and looked around. If she was a prisoner, this was a gilded cage if ever there was one. Willow knew there must have been places like this in a city like L.A., but she could have never imagined. The trappings of the bedroom she gazed out at were such that a queen could not complain. Well placed lamps bathed the room in soft light that brought the pallet of cheerful, earthy colors out beautifully. If Willow had created a bedroom for herself by magick, it would not have been much different than this.

Across from the raised nook that the bed was tucked into, there was a small living area. A fireplace there crackled cheerfully with two high-backed chairs facing it. Between the chairs stood a small, round table, and at the center of that was something very familiar. 

“Giles’ soul,” she breathed.

Before her body could be commanded to move, a hand emerged from the chair on the right and placed a wineglass filled with dark red liquid on the table. The sight of this froze her in place. There was no mistaking the owner of that long, strong hand. She had leaned on it far too often over the past six years to ever forget. And the onyx pinky ring was as recognizable to her as if she was looking into his soothing, green eyes.

“I do hope you’ve recovered with no ill effects,” a gentle, accented, chillingly familiar voice drifted through the room.

“I… I,” Willow could barely breathe, “I seem to be feeling fine.”

“That is wonderful to hear.” He stood and turned to face her, leaning casually on the back of the chair.

Willow’s breath caught. She knew it was Giles, but this was not the vision she had expected. There was no suit, no baggy sweater, no glasses. All of the old armor he had once used to hide himself from her, from the world, was gone. The man that stood before her now obviously felt no need to hide from anyone. He wore a pair of black, button-fly jeans that hugged the curves of his powerful thighs superbly well. They fit nicely over the tops of his thick-soled, black boots. The kind that motorcycle rider’s wear. Tucked into the waist was a blood-red, silk dress shirt. Its sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the top three buttons were left undone, giving a wonderful peek of his broad, hair-sprinkled chest.

Suddenly, Willow was back in high school seeing the new librarian for the first time and feeling the butterflies of an innocent, school-girl crush tickle in her stomach. But there was nothing innocent about the heat that rushed through her now. She felt the blush settle on her cheeks and fought her hardest to push it down. Her mind screamed at her to remember that until she was able to put the soul back into the body in front of her, no one she loved would be safe. And, at that moment, she was least safe of all.

He strode forward a couple paces and stopped in the center of the room. His gaze was steady, and Willow found it impossible to break his eye-contact. After a few moments he spoke in a low, hypnotic tone. “Come to me, Willow.”

Before she knew how she’d gotten there, Willow was standing before him, so close she could breathe his scent. It was so familiar, though her mind knew it shouldn’t be. He smelled of herbs, incense, and Giles’ aftershave (but why would a vampire need aftershave?), and that unmistakable male musk that was Giles. But there was also something extra underneath, a hint of death. The scent flooded her with the calmness that always came from being near Giles, yet put her on edge as she fought for self-control.

“How did you do that?” she breathed when he finally broke eye-contact and began to slowly circle her. His only answer to the question was a chuckle, low, and sensual, and predatory. She had never heard a sound like that come from him before and it sent a shiver of fear and lust up her spine.

As he crossed behind her, he ran his hand lightly across her shoulders, brushing two fingers over the bare skin at the back of her neck. Willow gasped at the sensation. His hand felt warm. But vampires weren’t supposed to be warm. No warm circulating blood, no warm skin. She knew this from experience. Spike’s hands were always cold, and Angel’s were cold and clammy most the time. Frankly, she didn’t know how Buffy could stand it.

“How did you do that?” she asked again with more of a voice.

His lips were suddenly next to her ear. “How could I do any less for my goddess?” he whispered. His left hand stretched out before her, and his fingers cupped and lowered, leaving in the air a beautiful, fiery representation of a long-stemmed Calla Lily. The flame-flower danced before her for a few moments, then extinguished itself.

“Your magick,” she whispered between labored breaths. “It was freed when you… died.” The last word was barely audible as she still found it difficult to admit what had happened.

“You freed me, Willow. You gave me back who I am.”

Willow screwed her eyes shut. “This isn’t really you,” she stated, more to herself than to the vampire.

His gentle caress of her chin brought her eyes back to his face, so familiar, so inviting. “How do you know?” he grinned. “How do you know this isn’t more who I am than the neutered, old man that barely earned your notice?”

Willow suddenly felt very indignant as a wave of protectiveness swept through her. “You aren’t… I mean, Giles isn’t old. And he certainly isn’t neutered. How dare you--”

“Willow,” he chuckled. “I can tell how I’m affecting you right now. When was the last time you looked at this body and felt so much heat?” He stepped in closer, running a hand down her arm and caressing her fingers.

Willow trembled, knowing she should back away or stop this somehow. But she found it impossible to move. “I c-couldn’t,” she stammered, swallowing hard. “You… he was my teacher and my friend. Giles deserved beautiful women like Jenny and Olivia. He would never even notice a silly little girl. Besides,” she mumbled, “he probably still hates me for the last time I tried to kill him.”

Magister laughed and looked back at the urn. “You were an old fool.” With a stroke of her cheek his dancing eyes captured her as he purred, “I hold every memory, every desire. You were noticed, Willow. Your beauty, your power, your fire. Feelings I’ve always held close to my heart, but was too much a coward to act on. I never showed how jealous I was of Oz or Tara. Even as we stayed with the coven, surround by available and willing women, I went to bed alone every night. All because I couldn’t have the one I truly wanted. I couldn’t have you. Let me pour out my passion on you now, Willow. Let me have you as my queen… forever.”

Willow looked at him for a moment, then her eyes turned cold and angry. “If you’re gonna try to seduce me, fine. If you’re gonna murder me and make me like you, get on with it. But do it as what you are. Don’t you dare try to use him against me. Don’t you try to mess with my feelings for him or whatever he might have felt for me. ‘Cause that’s one sure-fire way to make me the enemy you don’t want. Giles would never do the things I know you’ve done.”

“I apologize, My Love,” he bowed deeply with a smile. “You are right. I shouldn’t pretend to be a man who could give you nothing when I am one who is offering you everything.”

Willow closed her eyes and took a few long moments to get her emotions back under control. She knew this demon who had her friend’s body could have killed her a hundred times over by now. He wanted something else from her. Perhaps finding out what that was might be the key to both her freedom and Giles’. 

“Why me?” she ground out in a low voice as she opened her eyes.

“Pardon?” the vampire asked absently, his gaze now focused on her neck as if it was the most erotic sight he’d ever seen.

“Hey! I’m up here, Buddy!” Willow gestured to her eyes.

His emerald gaze jumped back up to hers. “Excuse me,” he chuckled. “Your beauty is quite distracting.”

“I want to know why me. Of all of us, you took me. And now you’re telling me you want me to be your queen. I don’t understand.”

“Is it so hard to believe, my beautiful Willow?” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “Who do you suppose I should have chosen to be with me forever?”

Willow mumbled, “I always thought your favorite was Bu--”

His loud roar of laughter made her jump. “Buffy?” His mirth faded into a low, sensual voice that caressed her to the core of her being. “Buffy was the object of my calling, my reason for being in Sunnydale. But it wasn’t until I was there that I found my reason to keep fighting. A reason for life itself.” He breathed into her ear, “You, Willow.”

A tear escaped and ran down her cheek. “It’s not possible. I never knew.”

“Hid it well, didn’t he? He had so many reasons to mask himself from you. Always knew he wasn’t worthy of your youth and fire. He knew he had nothing to offer you.” He circled behind her again, caressing her shoulders with the lightest of touches. “But all that has changed now. I am the one who carries this love for you. I am the one who will give you everything he couldn’t.”

“You’re a demon.” Willow’s whole body was trembling. “I’m not sure if you’re even capable of love.”

“Do you doubt that vampires have such a capacity? What of Angel or Spike?”

“You don’t have a soul.”

He knelt before her, his thumb running soft circles in the palm of the hand he held. “That is why I need you, My Dearest. For… For a woman is the very soul of man, the radiance that lights his way. A woman is… glory.”

Willow looked down at him through narrowed eyes. “Don Quixote loved pure and chaste from afar.”

“True. And we’ve seen how well that worked for him, and dear, old Rupert.” He began to rise slowly, kissing his way up her arm. “Let me show you the depths of my desires. Let me worship you as the goddess you are. And when we are joined we will come together as thermite and ice. The world will reel from our power.”

By the time he stood fully in front of her, tears were streaming down Willow’s face, her body on fire, screaming for more of his touch. “Why are you doing this to me?” she whispered. “We both know you can just take me by force whenever you want to. Why do you feel the need to torture me like this?”

“No torture intended, Precious One. If I took you by force, all I would have is your body. I desire all of you for my own.” He wiped tears from her cheek with his thumb, the same gentle gesture Giles had used to comfort her so many times. “I wish for you to burn for me as I do for you. You will call out for me in the night, consumed by passion and need. That is when I will come to you. That is when you will know how deeply my desire smolders for you.” He brought her hand to the front of his jeans and pressed it to the hard, physical proof of the effect her presence has had on him.

Willow gasped and jump back, suddenly crying out, “Tara! I… I loved Tara. You know that. I’m gay.”

The vampire smiled as he took a few steps back toward the door. “Yet another human issue that will have no place in your world once you join us.”

Before Willow could contemplate the meaning of that, there was a ruckus at the door.

“We want to know what’s going on,” a high-pitched, female voice became clear.

He snapped his fingers and the doors flew open, allowing several figures to stumble inside. 

“Sorry, Sir,” a guard said. “We tried to tell them you didn’t want to be disturbed.” His master waved him off with a forgiving smile.

A thin, buxom blond bounded up to his right side and wrapped herself around his arm.

“Harmony?” Willow gasped.

“Hey, Rosenberg. How’s it been goin’?” She nuzzled his shoulder. “Tasty isn’t he? If I knew this was what you were hiding away in that library all those years, I might have pretended to like books, too.”

As impossible as it seemed, Willow’s jaw dropped even more when a brunette cuddled up to his left. “Drusilla?”

“It sparkles,” she giggled. “The magick dances between you like tiny fireworks.” The mad vampire began poking at the air like a child playing with bubbles. “She’s ripe for you, My Lord. When you claim her the world will spin around us with happy smiles.”

“Why’s she crying?” Harmony whispered.

“She is a bit overwhelmed,” Magister smiled gently, having never taken his eyes from Willow. “In time she will calm and accept my love.”

“You denied our master his desires?” Harmony squeaked.

Drusilla held her head and moaned as if something was hurting her. “She mocks us. You must have her. Let us give her to you.”

The two female vampires took a step toward her but, before Willow could even scream, Magister’s back was inches in front of her as he let loose a hair-raising, animalistic roar. “Nobody touches her! She is mine and mine alone.”

The two females cowered and made soft cooing sounds to appease him. By the time he returned to them and turned back toward Willow, all traces of the demon had left his features.

“Patience, Ladies,” a tall, dark-skinned, handsome youth entered and stood at Magister’s back. “Let him have his fun with his little mouse. In the meantime, look what she’s done to our man for us.” Willow’s eyes went wide as a strong, male hand slid around her would-be lover’s hip and securely cupped his erect manhood.

“The sun’s rising,” Harmony purred. “Come to bed, Master.”

Willow stepped back from the bizarre scene in front of her. His piercing green gaze captured her once more. “Tell me to send them all away, Willow my love. Say that you want me and there will be room in my bed only for you. Ask me to stay with you now.”

Willow backed up again, shaking her head furiously. She tripped on the step to the sleeping nook and fell against the foot of the bed. “I can’t,” she whimpered, crying fat, hot tears. “I-I can’t.”

The group of vampires turned to leave her. Before the doors closed, the last thing she heard was Magister giving an order to the two large guards outside. “If anyone touches her, they die then you die.”

Willow gathered herself up and ran into the bathroom. She stood there, staring at here own pale, distraught face in the mirror. With a couple of splashes of cold water she focused on calming her breathing. Her sobs threatened to return when it occurred to her that she was using techniques Giles had taught her.

“It’s not him,” she pleaded with her own reflection. “Remember it’s not him. It’s only his body, not Giles’ soul. Not the real Giles.” Willow’s eyes suddenly lit up. “The Soul!”

 

***

 

“Look at how tense she made you,” the powerful, young man rubbed his master’s shoulders as they entered the grand suite he had claimed for his own.

“I bet I can take some of the tension away,” Harmony purred, rubbing against his broad chest.

In a sudden flash of anger, Magister lifted her off the floor and pinned her hard against the wall. “What makes you think you would be acceptable, even as a poor substitute?” he growled. “Do you expect to please me when she is within my reach?”

Harmony giggled expectantly at his dangerous tone.

“Shh,” the young man whispered in his ear as strong hands snaked around to undo the buttons of his fly. “Your witch queen is not ready for you yet, My Lord. Let us take the rage and disappointment from you now. We know you don’t want her to ever see it.”

Magister leaned back against the solid, muscled chest letting soft lips caress his neck and released his grip on Harmony as his painfully hard erection sprang free. With a wicked grin on her lips, the blond vampire sank to her knees and took him completely into her cool, wet mouth. From her position on his bed, Drusilla laughed and began to make pony noises.

 

***

 

Willow ran across the room to the table where the urn sat. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she reached a trembling hand out toward it. She jumped and recoiled when a small shock surprised her and the air crackled around the urn.

“I should have known he’d have wards up,” she whispered to herself.

As the crackle in the air faded, a rolled, scroll-like piece of paper appeared at the edge of the table in front of her. Turning one of the large chairs to face the urn, she carefully untied the ribbon and opened it as she sat. It was a letter written in a beautiful, flowing hand.

 

My Dearest Willow,

By now it should be abundantly clear that my heart cries out for you. Yet, if you are reading this, you have turned from me to run to him. I will not despair at this, My Love, for I understand my declaration might be a shock to you at first. My feelings for you are as immortal as I am. I will wait and keep demonstrating my passion for you until I have you in my arms for all time.

However, if your desire is to deny me and cling to this prisoner who has never offered you what you deserve, I propose a game. The wards I have set are layered and diverse. They should prove an interesting diversion for one of your talents. So the game is simple. If you find the power to defeat my magick, your prize will be my very soul. If my magick proves to be the stronger, your prize will be all that I am, for you are the only soul I shall ever need.

As a hint, the first ward you’ve just encountered defends against the physical. If I were you, I would not test it too much, because it grows stronger as it’s disturbed. It would pain me greatly to see you hurt, Little One.

With all that I am,

Yours

 

Tears dripped from Willow’s chin as she looked up at the golden glow that was Giles’ soul. “Why didn’t you ever tell me,” she asked in a hoarse whisper. “And don’t you try to deny it, because I know enough about vampires to know that he wouldn’t be so fixated on me if you never had any of these feelings for me in the first place.” Anger was building in her and she began to yell at the faceless urn. “I mean, goddess, here I am all my life trying to find people who will love me and make me happy. And don’t get me wrong, I know I was really lucky with Oz and Tara. But now, after all the time we’ve spent alone and talking, I find out that ‘Mr. Untouchable’ himself, the one I could never have but was always looking for a substitute for, felt something for me, too.

“I can just see your face now… looking down with that shy little smile waiting for me to finish yelling at you so you can tell me all the excellent and logical reasons for never letting me know. Gah… you’re just lucky that you don’t have a body right now because I so want to slap you. Do you understand me!?”

Willow gasped as the soul gave a bright pulse of light.

“Wait! Are you aware in there? Can you hear me?”

Another pulse of light.

“Okay… I’ve gotta be logical about this. It could just be a coincidence. How can I make sure? Right, how about this? One flash for yes and two for no.”

Another pulse.

“All right, something with a no answer.” Willow smiled to herself. “Is your name Wesley Wyndam-Pryce?”

A single pulse.

“No! Two flashes… two for no. Are you a fighter pilot?”

Nothing.

“Did you save Dawn?”

Still nothing.

Willow’s voice began to tremble. “Please, Giles. Please come back to me. I wouldn’t be so scared if I knew you were here with me.”

She jumped out of her chair at the sound of a soft knock on the door. It opened and a small woman with dark hair and eyes came in carrying a large tray. “Hello. I hope I’m not disturbing you, My Lady.”

“I know you.” Willow tried to shake her head clear. “You were the one Faith brought. You’re his sire.”

“That’s right. I guess I should thank you all. It is a great honor to be the master’s sire.” Willow watched as she set the tray on a larger table at the other side of the room. “He found me wandering the streets a few nights later and took me into his care. Before my death, I didn’t even know vampires were real. Amazing really, all his power and he chooses to look after all of us.”

“Sure sounds like Giles,” Willow muttered. “Aren’t you jealous? You’re his sire, but you weren’t invited to his little orgy,” she spat.

The vampire chuckled. “I’ll never be jealous of the harpies and neither should you.”

“Harpies?”

“That’s what I call them. They think they can win his favor by pleasuring his body.” She took the lid off the tray and walked toward Willow. “They’ll never admit this,” her voice dropped to a conspiratory whisper, “but even when they do manage to bring him pleasure, it’s always your name he whispers.” Willow let a sad smile cross her lips. “The honor he’s given me is one none of them will ever get. He trusts me to look after our future queen, his must precious treasure.”

“B-But I don’t…”

“He understands.” The young-looking woman took Willow’s hand. “Now let me show you around.” She opened the closet door. It was full of beautiful sun dresses. “In here you will find fresh clothing. The master has chosen everything himself to complement your loveliness.” She next led Willow back into the bathroom. “You should find everything you’ll ever need in here. I think I still remember what a living woman requires,” she chuckled. Willows wide eyes focused on the large Jacuzzi-style bathtub that she now noticed was filled with Calla Lilies. “And out here is your breakfast. You must be starving.”

“Thank you,” Willow whispered, a bit dumbfounded. 

“If you open those doors,” she pointed to a set of dark curtains, “you will find your balcony. I would set your breakfast up out there, but the sun has already risen, you understand. The chef is one of the finest around and he has been well informed of all your favorites.”

Willow muttered, “You mean your master killed him to make him cook for me.”

“No, no… Chef is very much alive. Death changes your cravings, and the Teacher didn’t want to compromise his pallet.”

A weak chuckle escaped Willow at the absurdity of the situation. “What’s that,” she pointed at an ornate armoire, “more clothes?”

Her hostess opened the doors to show that it was filled with all kinds of magic books. “He thought you might be needing these. The raiding parties have spent many nights trying to find the rarer volumes.”

Willow ran her fingers over the worn spines, pulling away quickly when she came to one stained with blood. “What’s your name,” she finally asked.

“When I was alive they called me Karen. I wouldn’t mind if you called me that, too.”

“Thank you for taking care of me, Karen.”

“It is my pleasure, My Queen. Now, it’s getting late and I need to rest. The guards outside are the most loyal the master has. They’ll make sure no harm comes to you. And if you need anything, just tell them and they’ll get me. I’ll leave you to your meal now.”

Willow watched Karen go and went to the table. Beside the breakfast that was releasing the most wonderful odors, she noticed a gift box. A note on top was scrolled in the same hand as the letter.

 

A gift to make you feel more at home, My Goddess!

 

She opened the box and inside found a cross and a stake. Shaking her head, she went and pulled open the doors to the outside. Sunlight streamed in from a huge rooftop terrace garden. Beyond the edge of the building she could see out over what seemed like the whole city waking up to the new day. She turned and gazed at the urn.

“I gotta hand it to you, Old Man. When you put your mind to it, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”

In the brightness flooded room, the soul gave a weak pulse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is just a small explanation for those of you who might not be science geeks like me. In this chapter, Magister tells Willow that their joining will be like Thermite and Ice. Thermite is a mixture of metallic substances that burns at over 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Though it can cut through steel, it does not explode. However, when Thermite is surrounded by a large amount of ice, the two substances create a huge explosion. This goes against logic and there is no current scientific explanation for it. Because of this, it seemed to me an appropriate descriptor for what might happen if they joined forces. If you’d like to see what happens, there are videos of the experiment on Youtube. Just look up Thermite and Ice.


	7. Enter Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - description of gang rape.

**7.  Enter Chaos**

 

“Right,” Faith pointed to the map laid out on the counter.  “I tracked them to right around here, but then it seemed like they all split up and just vanished.”

Buffy growled.  “He’s officially starting to piss me off.  I understand the attack; he’s playing with us, letting us know how easily he’ll be able to take us all out whenever he wants.  But why kidnap Willow?”

“Well,” Wesley polished his glasses, “perhaps he recognized Willow as a threat to him and decided she needed to be… eliminated.”  As soon as the words left his lips the crestfallen faces around him made him regret speaking his thought.

“People, that’s so not why he took her,” Faith disagreed.  She sighed at the questioning stares.  “Hasn’t anyone else noticed that this demon version of Big G has a little more oomph than our old tweed man?  Just trust me, killing Willow isn’t the first thing on his mind.”

Xander groaned, trying to scratch a persistent itch beneath the cast that now covered his left arm.  “Is it just me, or is she trying to put an image in my mind that I’ll have to get out with an ice cream scoop?”

“I agree with Faith,” Angel finally spoke up.  “This demon still has all of Giles’ desires and he’s not afraid to act on them.  Just think about everything they had in common.  The brains, the magick, the troubles…  Think of all the time they’ve spent alone together.  Don’t get me wrong, Giles was a gentleman if ever there was one, but he’d have to be devoid of his faculties not to notice a beautiful girl right under his nose.”

“You mean he’s gonna ra…” Buffy couldn’t finish the question.

“No, I don’t see him as the type,” Angel assured them.  “He’ll try to seduce her.  He’ll want her to want to be his forever.”

“That’s a relief,” Xander sighed.  “How good can G-man be at seduction?”

“It may buy us time, but we have to get her away from him as soon as possible.”  Buffy had a serious, thoughtful expression.  “We’ve had run-ins with vamp Willow and evil, black magick Willow, and I don’t think I ever want to find out what happens when you mix the two.”

“I’m going…  Don’t they teach you army boys any manners?”

Buffy swung around as the familiar, gut-turning voice demanded her attention at the front doors.  The tall Englishman with a thin, deceptively compact frame was being ushered in between two soldiers dressed in civvies, but obliviously ready for anything.  Their prisoner was shackled at the wrists and ankles with a chain binding all his limbs together, effectively hobbling him.

“Buffy Summers?” the shorter soldier called out.  Buffy nodded as she approached, doing her best to hide her limp.  “We were ordered to release this prisoner into your custody.  Don’t know what you want him for, Miss, but I’ll warn you he’s a really pain in the--”

“I’m well aware of that,” Buffy nodded politely to the soldiers without taking her eyes off her new prisoner.  “Please give Commander Finn my thanks.”  She glanced the chained man up and down.  “Hello, Ethan.”

“It is an unspeakable pleasure to see you again, My Dear,” Ethan bowed as best he could.

Wesley came up beside Buffy and placed a simple, braided silver bracelet in her hand.  The Slayer’s expression remained stern.  “Why don’t you give the nice officers their pretty jewelry back now, Ethan?”

The chaos sorcerer nodded with a wicked grin and held a free arm out to the soldier beside him, the unfastened shackles dangling from his hand.  The soldier’s eyes went wide.  Buffy tossed the bracelet to Ethan.

“Put it on,” Wesley ordered.  “It will bind your magicks until such time as we see fit to let you use them.”

“Of course,” Ethan complied.  “Anything for the beautiful Slayer.”

“Thank you for bringing him.  We’ll keep him under control.  You can go back to your base now.”

“Yes ma’am,” the soldiers said in unison as they hurried out the doors.

“I’ll have to admit,” Ethan grinned as he began to stroll around, looking over the lobby, “when I learned I was headed for Los Angeles, I never dreamed I would end up in such desirable company.  Decided to abandon that little dump of a Hellmouth then?  Can’t say I blame you.  Wasn’t a very classy place.  But this is nice.”  Buffy stood quietly as he scanned the room, letting him listen to the sound of his own voice.  “I must say that my curiosity is running wild trying to think of the kind of problem you’d risk my help for.  I’m surprised the old man even let you consider playing with me again.  Though I haven’t quite forgiven him for leaving me to rot in that Initiative hell-hole.  Where is dear Ripper anyway?”

“He’s why you’re here,” Xander interjected, seeing the anger welling up in Buffy.

Dawn approached the dark sorcerer fearlessly.  “We need you to tell us about his past.  About what kind of magick he has.”

Ethan looked down at the young lady standing just inches from him.  “Such courage and beauty in a delicate package.  And what passion stirred for Ripper.”  He reached out to brush a stray hair behind her ear.  “He does tend to inspire it, doesn’t he?”

“Could you please not touch her,” Buffy growled.

“A please from the Slayer,” Ethan cocked an eyebrow.  “How can I refuse such a request?”

“Just stop, and start helping us out before I lose my temper.”

“As you wish,” the sorcerer chuckled.  “But why go through all the trouble of freeing me?  I’m sure your little witch friend has felt the power he holds inside.  Even if it’s trapped, it’s still there.”

“Willow’s not here,” Xander shook his head sadly.  “He took her.”

“I have a feeling I’m not getting a complete story here.”

Buffy shot Xander a disapproving glance.  “You’ll know what I think you need to know,” she snarled.  “Tell use how his magick is trapped.”

“He never told you, did he?  Of course not.  Ever the bloody martyr.  Always has to bear his burdens alone.”

Wesley stepped forward and straightened his glasses.  “There were rumors at the Council--”

“Your bloody Council…  He let them do it to him.  My beautiful boy knelt before those narrow-minded, short-sighted fools and took their punishment.  He let them put the collar around his neck.  Then he willing handed his leash to a self-centered, little brat.”

Wesley placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder but, to his surprise, it wasn’t anger that clouded her face at the condemning remark, only sorrow.  “Then there was a curse?”

“Oh, you can call it that.  See the Council figured that it would be to their disadvantage to just strip him of his magick, or even bind it so he couldn’t use it.”

Buffy shook her head.  “But he used magick to help me all the time.”

“I’m sure he did,” Ethan’s dark eyes sparkled with more anger than any of them had ever seen in him before.  “But did he ever stick around for long afterwards?  I’m guessing not.  He had to go and be alone to recover.  The Council let him keep his magick all right…  They made it so every time he used it was a new punishment.  Every spell came with physical agony.  Every time he saved you, it must have been like ripping his own guts out.”

“I didn’t know,” Buffy breathed.

“You should have seen the power he could once wield.”  She thought she could see tears forming his eyes.  “He brimmed with life and possibilities.  That’s what drew me to him in the first place.  The things we could discover together.  But to fall in love with that exquisite face…  How could I not?”

Xander’s jaw dropped.  “Are you telling me that you and Giles were…?”

“What I would have given for just one taste.”  The chaos mage winked at the boy.  “But alas, my patience was little match for that strict upbringing he clung to even in his rebellion.  Even so, hope springs eternal.”

Dawn chuckled, “You still love him.”

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Ethan grinned.  “Unfortunately, my small cries for attention didn’t go over too well.”

“You turned him into a demon,” Buffy huffed, folding her arms across her chest.  The accusing glare she received from Dawn had more of a sting than she could have ever expected.  Ethan just shrugged.

“Well,” Wesley removed his glasses to give them a polish.  “I think it’s safe to say that we may well be out-matched on the magicks front.  And if he turns Willow…”

Buffy cringed at the slip.  “What?” Ethan let panic creep into his voice.  “How could he turn Willow?  Tell me what happened to my Ripper.”

Dawn stepped forward and touched his arm, suddenly feeling a strange connection with the dangerous man.  “We got caught in a fight,” she began quietly.  “The demons were too strong and there were too many.  Giles was defending me…  He was wounded.”

As Dawn’s voice cracked, Xander continued.  “It was mortal.  There was nothing we could do to save his life.  So…”

“I made the decision,” Buffy said softly.  “I couldn’t…  The self-centered, little brat wasn’t ready to let him go yet.”

“So you had him turned,” Ethan sat down and ran his hands over his face and through his hair.  “You made Rupert a vampire.”

Simply hearing Ethan use his old friend’s given name was enough to pull tears from Buffy’s eyes.  “We captured his soul,” she tried to explain.  “As soon as we find him and Willow, we can get Giles back.”

Ethan’s suddenly small voice came for between his hands.  “I’ll help you find him.”

“Thank you,” Buffy sighed.

“Then I’ll destroy him.”

“What?” She breathed.  “Why?  We’ll give him back his soul.”

Ethan looked up at her with regretful eyes.  “I know, Luv.  And I know how you feel.  But when I make a blood oath to a man I love, nothing will stop me from carrying it out.”

Xander nodded, “Giles made you swear to dust him if he was ever turned.”

“Why?” Buffy blinked.

“It was after the Blood Pack,” Ethan began.  He cut himself off at the sight of Dawn.  “This really isn’t a story for innocent ears, My Dear.”

Dawn sat resolutely next to him.  “If it happened to Giles, I want to know.”

Ethan smiled at her.  “Nice to know my Ripper did have love of some kind.”  He then looked straight ahead with unfocused eyes, as if staring into the past.  “It was several months after we first met in London.  We were still so young and foolhardy.  Still trying to figure out who we were and what we could do…”

 

_“Go home and sleep it off,” the bartender growled as he forced two young troublemakers out the door._

_“We were just leaving anyway,” Ripper laughed.  “There has to be someplace with a little more life around here.”_

_Ethan flung an arm around his friend’s shoulders in an attempt to stop the street from swaying.  “The whole town is dead by this time, Ripper.  Let’s just go home and I’ll give you a party if you want it.”_

_“Don’t you start with that again, you flamin’ fuck.  I told you…  I told you before…  Hey, which way is home anyway?”_

_“I think we can cut through here,” Ethan chuckled, pointing in the vicinity of an alleyway with a roving hand._

_“Hell if I’ll follow you.  Your sense of direction is worse than mine.”_

_“Right then…  Which way, Mate?”_

_“We’ll go that way,” Ripper announced, moving toward the same alley._

_“Bloody hell,” Ethan giggled as they clung to each other to stay upright._

“We were about half way though the alley when they appeared on all sides.  Back in those days we called them Blood Packs.  Gangs of vampires that roamed the city in search of victims.  Most people didn’t know about them because very few survived an encounter.  But, even drunk out of his head, Ripper knew what they were instantly.  And this pack was large, eight of them.”

 

_“Look what we have here,” the male leader grinned.  “A couple of pretty, little boys out in search of a good time?”_

_“Too bad we just gorged ourselves with that tour bus,” a little one chuckle.  “They look yummy.”_

_“We can still play, can’t we?”  a female purred.  “Would be a shame to waste such lovely flesh.”_

_Ripper instinctively took up a protective stance in front of Ethan.  “Whatever happens,” he whispered.  “If you get the chance, run.  Don’t wait for me.”_

_“There’re too many of them.  We’re fucked.”_

_The little one snickered, “Not yet.”_

_Ripper pulled out the stake he always kept in the back waistband of his jeans and rushed forward.  He moved with a fury that caught the vampires off guard.  Before they reacted, the largest among them disintegrated into dust.  A second later, the gang fell on him with brutal force._

“At the time, Ripper hadn’t yet finished his training with the Council, but he could always fight like a bloody champion.  Sadly, this wasn’t a normal brawl.  No normal human could ever fight off seven vampires.  I’ll tell you he didn’t go down easy though.  Back then, I was on the receiving end of ol’ Ripper’s temper more often than not, but seeing him in a fight was always a thing of beauty.  And one thing I always respected, the man could take as good as he could give.”

 

_Ethan had done his best, but was soon dropped to his knees and pinned by two of the vampires.  Ripper fought on even after he was stripped of his weapon.  It took the five remaining foes piled onto his back to hold him to the ground, and still he bucked and squirmed._

_“This one’s got spirit,” the female chuckled.  “I bet his blood runs hot and spicy.”_

_“You’ll get your turn to taste, My Pet.  Just like all of us,” the leader purred to her._

_“Ripper!” Ethan screamed.  “Talk to me.  Help us!  Anybody!”_

_“Shut him up!” the female hissed._

_One of Ethan’s captors whispered in his ear.  “You heard her.  Quiet, or I’ll eat your tongue.”_

_“Besides,” the female grinned, “I want to hear this one scream.”_

_“Not bloody likely,” came a muffled mutter from beneath the pile._

_The leader growled, “Put him on his knees.”_

_It still took three vampires to hold him steady as they picked him up to his knees.  In an instant the female had the front of the shirt in shreds, her cold hands running along his exposed chest.  She inhaled deeply along his collarbone and neck._

_“He smells of fear and hatred.  It’s intoxicating.”_

_Ethan saw Ripper wince as her talon-like nails raked down his chest, causing blood to seep from the wounds.  She purred as she licked along the fresh cuts._

_“And he tastes of innocence… and darkness.  A rare vintage indeed.”_

_Ripper’s muscles tensed and worked, straining against his captors.  The leader laughed from behind him as his jeans were torn from his body.  They pushed him forward, forcing him onto his hands and knees.  He looked up, sweat beading on his brow, and set a determined mask on his face._

“As I look back on it, I can see that they probably took him first because he was the bigger threat.  But at the time I was certain that they knew…  They knew that nothing they could ever do to me would be more torture than being forced to watch them violate my beautiful boy.  The look in his eyes was like nothing I have ever seen before or since.  The pain, and helplessness, and rage, and hate…  Like he could set the world ablaze with that stare.”

 

_A wave of nausea threatened to overtake Ethan as he watched his friend’s jaw clench with pain. He struggled again, wanting desperately to help, to stop the horror unfolding before him, but the two vampires held him fast, forcing him to watch._

_“No…  He’s not ready,” Ethan sobbed.  “You’re hurting him…”_

_The leader howled with joy as he forced himself into his victim.  “Feels like we caught ourselves a virgin here, Boys.  Yeah… this is gonna be better than we thought.”_

_“Poor, lovely boy,” the female murmured as she licked blood from a cut above Ripper’s right eye, running from his eyebrow up to his hairline.  “Why don’t you give me a scream and I’ll see if I can get my big fellas to go a little easier on you.”_

_Tears ran down Ethan’s face as Ripper’s gaze never left his.  “For God’s sake, Ripper,” his voice rasped, “Give her what she wants.”_

_All he could do was watch his friend silently take everything the vicious gang of demons could do to him.  Never screaming out, as he had promised.  They inflicted new wounds on him to taste his blood.  They took turns using him for their perverse pleasure, each riding him to their unholy climax.  Finally, when he had lost enough blood and was physically exhausted, they let him collapse into a heap on the cold, wet asphalt.  Then they turned their attentions on Ethan._

“When I woke up we were lying next to each other in a hospital.  Apparently, someone had found us in the alley, both near death.  We spent days in that hospital recovering.  That was when I think his true hatred of vampires began.  He only spoke of what happened once.  It was one night in the hospital.  He came to my bed and we made the blood oath.  We swore to each other that if one ever became the monster that had so mercilessly accosted us, the other would make sure he wouldn’t live like that for long.  After that he threw himself into study…”

 

_Ethan’s footfalls echoed in the empty streets as he rushed to catch up to his friend.  Meanwhile, Ripper casually strolled into the same dark alley by the old pub._

_“Look what we have here, Boys.  Dinner.”_

_“Wait,” the same female shouted.  “He smells familiar.”_

_“You’re right,” the leader laughed.  “Have you come back for a bit more fun?  I’ll have to admit, we don’t often find one with your endurance.”_

_Ripper grinned.  “I did come back to find you.  And I would like to have some fun, if you’re up to it.”_

_As Ethan rounded the corner into the alley, he was blinded by a blazing column of fire.  He slowly blinked his vision back until he could make out a dark figure coming toward him.  Ripper walked past his friend and headed for the pub._

_“Fancy a pint, Ethan?”_

“My God, Giles,” Xander breathed.

All Dawn could do was cry as she ran a comforting hand over Ethan’s back, unable to reach the man she really wanted to give the comfort to.

“I had no idea,” Buffy sighed.

“It was the past and we both survived,” Ethan shrugged.  “But now you see why I’ll do my best to fulfill my oath.”

“I understand.  But don’t be surprised if I do my best to stop you.”  Buffy smiled.

Ethan’s eyes twinkled.  “I would expect nothing less.  And I do hope you succeed.” 


	8. Conversations

**8.  Conversations**

 

Pulling on a pair of jeans, Magister glanced over at the heap of flesh sleeping contentedly on his bed.  The three entangled bodies, all happy, all sated, and he… he was hungry.  He threw a shirt around his shoulders and stepped out into the corridor.

With a glance down the hallway, he received a nod from the guards.  Silent assurance that all was well with Willow.  Beautiful Willow.  He could smell her even from there.  He could envision her curled up in a chair, surrounded by books, studying diligently to meet his challenge.  He could see her sweet smile as she whispers something to… him.  Why do they all cling to him?  He was nothing now, could do nothing for them, was not even worth being around to be ignored anymore.  It was maddening. 

Magister felt the anger building in him again.  Before he knew it, he had taken a step toward her door.  His craving for her like nothing he had ever known.  Halting himself, he took a deep breath out of habit.  This was not the time, not the way.  Besides, he was hungry.

Turning around, he headed for the stairs.  He knew the elevators would take him down the seven floors faster, but he had to keep moving.  The agitation that had built up in him was driving him crazy.  At least the building was quiet at this time of day and he could move around without being bothered.  He could walk the halls without having to be what everyone expected of him.

“Is something wrong?  You look upset.”

Magister sighed.  “What are you doing lurking in the stairwell in the middle of the afternoon, Justin?  You should be sleeping like the others.”

“As should you,” the young man grinned.  He came along side his master and they continued to descend together.  “I sometimes run the stairs when it’s quiet like this.  It helps me order my thoughts.  I used to run outside, but that would be bad for my health these days.”  The joke earned a chuckle and he smiled.

“So, what thoughts are troubling you that have pulled you from your bed today?”

“I feel the need to apologize.  The mistake that was made during last night’s mission was inexcusable.”

“A learning experience,” the Teacher smiled.  “Don’t tell the others, but we are none of us perfect.”

Justin laughed, “I promise not to give your secret away.”

They let another floor pass in silence before Magister sighed again.  “So, are you going to tell me what’s really on your mind?”  His protégé frowned.  “I chose you because I know you.  You are not like the others.  You know better than to let a tiny mishap be something to dwell on.”

“I should also know better than to think I can hide my worries from you.”

“You don’t understand,” his master prompted.

“I don’t.  I mean, our numbers grow every day.  Your own power gives us strength beyond imagining.  We could take this city before anyone would know it.”

“So, why do I spend my time focused on a small group that has no hope of stopping us?”

Justin brushed his fingers through his hair.  “I don’t mean to question.  I understand the need to retrieve the soul before it could be used against you, and I understand taking the witch.  But you had both Slayers in your grasp last night and you let them live.”

“Never fear questioning me, Justin.  There may come a time when my private vengeances may compromise us and I’ll need you to advise me accordingly.  But, for now, trust me when I say the Slayers and their people are of no threat to us, and will be more useful alive.”

“I do.  And I intend to figure out your thinking before you have to spell it out to me.  Just give me a little more time.”

Magister smiled at his enthusiasm.  “I’m sure you’ll have it in no time.”

“Now, would you like to tell me why you’re roaming the halls when you need your rest?”

“I’m hungry,” was the only answer Magister would growl.

Justin nodded, though he knew there was more.  “I believe we have some leftovers in the lounge.”

 

***

 

Ethan sat in the lotus position and finished his chant before opening his eyes to blow the fine sand over the map set inside the sacred circle.  He, Wesley, and the two Slayers watched as the sands spread and began to glow in one specific spot.  Then another speck began to glow, then another, and another…

Wesley whipped his glasses off and looked up at the Slayers.  “I’m…Ah…  He did the spell perfectly to my knowledge.  There should only be one indicator.”

Ethan began to chuckle, “That’s my clever boy.”  He glanced up to see Buffy’s eyes on him with the distinct look that she wanted to hit something.  “I did do it correctly,” he huffed.  “Ripper was sure to know that you would try to find him magically at some point.  It looks like he put a Refractor ward on the vessel.  It creates reflections of his soul throughout the area.”  He hid another smile as the Slayer groaned.  “One good thing we can derive from this.  We can tell the soul is still intact somewhere.”

“Perhaps,” Wesley bent, marking all the possibilities on the map before the magick faded, “we can find a way to break through this spell.  At least eliminate enough of these false readings to give us a chance to search what remains.”

“It is possible.  But I will have to spend more time in meditation.  I’ll need to search out with my own power and try to discern the precise spell he’s using.”

“Fine,” Buffy sighed.  “In the meantime, we’ll start scouting these places for any trace of him.”

Ethan stood and stretched his long body.  “Then we have a plan.  Now, if I’m not needed, could someone please show me to my quarters?  This prison issue garb truly does nothing for my complexion.  And you cannot imagine how much I’ve been looking forward to taking a shower without someone with a tail staring at me.”

“Man, believe me when I tell you I know exactly where your coming from,” Faith laughed.  “I’ll show him his room.  And I’ll make a run to get some new threads.”  She cocked her head, staring at the man.  “I think I can put together a style that’ll look good on this guy.”

The sorcerer grinned, “I put myself completely in your hands, My Dear.”

“Ethan,” Buffy groaned in disgust as he began to follow the dark Slayer, “put it back on.”

“I must have forgotten.”  His midnight eyes sparkled with mischief.  “However, I am a bit concerned.  What if Ripper finds out you’ve called on me?  If he comes after me as he did your little witch friend, how am I to defend myself?”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust us to take care of you.  You have a lot to make up for before you can expect me to give you any consideration.”

“Then my life is in your lovely hands and I resign myself to it,” he sighed, letting the bracelet wrap again around his wrist.  With a parting wink, he followed Faith out of Willow’s room.

“Buffy,” Wesley stood and came up behind her.  “I don’t know if you’re aware of my complete…um… history with Faith, but I want you to know I’m trying to be logical as I say this.  She worries me, and I don’t know how much we should trust her to go out alone anymore.  Especially, after what Gi… Magister said to her.”

“We all have history with Faith, Wes.  He’s playing on our weaknesses, trying to divide us more than we already are.  It seems like Faith is trying to make good right now.  With everything else we have to worry about, I say we let her try.”

“You’re probably right.  I’ll be ready to baby sit our magician friend when he’s rested enough to start his meditations.  In the mean time, I thought I might hit the books and see if there’s anything in prophecy that could be of use to us.”

 

***

 

The doors to the lounge swung open and humans scampered, trying to hide behind anything they could find.  It was a large room with tasteful décor.  A huge fireplace was set into one wall and the outside wall was lined with windows that stretched from ceiling to floor, all now boarded and painted to keep out the sun.  Even so, the lighting made the space bright and homey, and there were plush chairs and sofas to accommodate all.  Just off the room were two restroom facilities, making it a comfortable prison, as prisons go.

“Have they been tended to?” Magister asked the guard as he entered.

“Yes, Sir.  Food was sent from the kitchen a short time ago.”

“Very good,” he mumbled, scanning the prey.

Justin looked absently over the choices.  “With everything on your mind, it amazes me that you pay so much attention to these lowly creatures.  It would be easier to just chain them in the basement.”

“We mustn’t be uncivilized.  Even the beasts of the field are tended to before they are led to slaughter.  Remember, Justin, a world for our kind still requires plenty of humans.  What is a hunter without his prey?”

They watched as a small girl of no more than seven skipped up to them from the back of the room.  Her strawberry blond curls fell to the middle of her back, and she looked up at them with eyes the color of a pale sea on a clear day.

“They won’t play with me,” she pouted to the two tall vampires.  “Will you play with me?” 

Magister squatted to meet her at eye level and tenderly ran his fingers through her full hair.  “You are lovely, Tiny One.  You shouldn’t let sadness darken that pretty face.”

“Why won’t they play with me?”

“Because they are afraid of us.  They can’t help it,” he answered tenderly.

A puzzled look crossed her face.  “Should I be afraid of you?  Why are they so scared?”

“It is their nature.  They are aware of their mortally.  Their instincts are telling them to flee from the perceived predator.”

“But I only want to play,” the girl swayed and flashed him a sweet smile.

“I know, My Child,” he smiled back.  “Tell you what…  Which one would you like to play with?”

The girl turned around and scanned the room.  She finally pointed to a thin, sandy-haired man ducking behind an overstuffed chair.  Before he could blink, Magister was lifting him out of hiding by his throat.

“Please, please not me,” he begged, clawing at the vampire’s forearm.  “I don’t want to…”  His eyes shifted to the girl standing beside his captor.  “Please, Robyn, tell him to let me go.”

Magister smiled down at the girl.  “Robyn.  That’s a beautiful name.  It suits you.  This one seems to know you.”

“Yes,” she cocked her head at the man now pinned against the wall in the vampire’s powerful grip.  “I think I once called him Daddy.”

“In that case, I shall let you determine his fate.  We could let him go as he asks.  Or, if you like, we can make him like us and you can have him with you always.”

The child took on a thoughtful expression for a long while.  “He would be of no real use to you, Master.  He is nothing but food.”

The prisoner cried out his horror as Magister stroked the girl’s head affectionately.  “Very well, would you like to share him with me?”

Two demon faces looked back at the miserable man.  He shook with fear and he lost all control over his body’s functions.  “I can smell his feelings.  It smells so good my tummy hurts.”

“Can you hear his heart drum?  Can you sense the blood flowing through the arteries beneath his skin?”

“Yes, I can hear it rushing by.”

“Where do you think you should bite him?” Magister continued to instruct.

“I want to bite him here,” Robyn growled as she tore the trouser fabric from his thigh and sank her fangs into his femoral artery.

Magister leaned in as his prey choked on screams of pain.  “Don’t worry,” the vampire whispered into his ear, “she’s no longer your daughter.”  He turned his head and joined the girl in the feast.

As they left the body, hand in hand, the girl suddenly queried, “I don’t understand…”

“What, My Lovely?”

“Why was I made like you?  What use am I?”

Magister smiled down at her. “I would guess you were a mistake of over exuberance by one of my young students.  But one I’m glad was made.  You bring me joy.”  His smile grew to a grin as she jumped up to hug him.

 

***

 

Ethan walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist and using another to rub his hair dry.  At the sight of Dawn leaning against the wall just inside his door, he hid a grin behind the movement of the towel.

“My Dear, as much as I would savor your company, I don’t think your sister finding you in here with me, alone, is very conducive to my continuing health.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t come looking for me,” Dawn stated in a sure voice.  “She’s too busy worrying about other things.”

Ethan threw the towel he’d been using on his hair back through the open bathroom door and faced the girl with his hands on his hips.  “I’m sure you are one of the foremost things on the Slayer’s mind.  However, suddenly finding yourself to be one of Ripper’s enemies can be a disconcerting experience.  Believe me, I know.”  He watched as a mixture of determination and sadness, along with a few other indiscernible emotions played across her face.  “You were against this, weren’t you?” Ethan whispered.

Dawn stood up straight, refocusing herself.  “Faith left some new clothes on the bed for you.  She says they should fit you like the old snake skin you’re used to.  Whatever that means.”

“Lovely girl,” Ethan chuckled, rounding the double bed to sit with his back to the teenager.  He could feel her eyes scanning his bared torso as he moved.  Knowing what it was catching her attention, he commented in his easy manner, “Just a few memories.  You don’t get to be a couple ol’ dogs like me and Rupert without collecting a fair share of war wounds.”

“Did they do that to you?”

“Who, the army boys?”  He answered without looking up from his perusal of the new wardrobe.  “A few.  But most come from a lifetime of self-abuse.  Some of my favorites even come from dear old…”  With a glance at the girl’s sad expression, Ethan took on a tone that allowed a little more care to slip through.  “It looks like you lot are a bit worse for wear these days yourselves.  The boy’s arm, the Slayer’s leg, and you…”  Dawn unconsciously cradled the hand bearing two splinted fingers to her body.  “It was him, wasn’t it?”

Dawn swallowed, determined not to let the strange sorcerer see the emotions memories of that night still stirred.  She nodded, “The doctor said they weren’t broken.  He only dislocated them.  It was like he wanted to cause the most possible pain, but no permanent damage.  I don’t understand.  It’s not Giles, so why would he still care?”

“Ah, the great conundrum that is the dark side of Ripper.”  Dawn quickly looked away as Ethan stood to pull a pair of jeans on, immodestly leaving the towel behind.  The older man chuckled, glancing back and catching the blush on her cheeks.  “How old are you anyway, Luv?”

“I didn’t come here to talk about any of this,” Dawn grumbled, frustrated by her own childish behavior.  “I came because I want to hear more about Giles.  About the past.”

 Ethan buttoned his shirt as he slowly approached her.  “I would think from my last tale that you would have figured the events of our past don’t exactly make good bedtime stories.”

“That’s why I need to hear more.  There must have been some good things.  Otherwise, why would any of you have stayed together?”

“Yes, there are some memories that I will cherish until my last day in this world.  Some that I’ll bet even Ripper can look back on and smile.”  Ethan sat on the bed facing her with a sigh.  “What would you like to know?”

Dawn thought a moment.  “How about telling me why you call him Ripper?”

He let a loud laugh shake through him.  The sorcerer eyed her coyly.  “Would you believe me if I said we just called him that because we thought it sounded better than Rupert?”

Dawn shook her head.  “Nope.  Ripper is the kind of name you earn.  Especially if it stays with you.”

Ethan laughed again and rubbed a hand through his damp hair.  “He’ll kill me for telling you that story.”

“Well…” Dawn plopped down on the bed beside him.  “At this point he’s probably gonna kill us all anyway.  I’d like to know.  Please tell me.”

“Memories of the real man to stave off the monster?”  He looked down at her knowingly and Dawn let a small smile cross her lips.  “Very well, but this is his story and not to be shared.”  Her smile grew into a grin.

 

***

 

Xander jumped and stifled a screech when the full plate and glass he’d been balancing in his good hand were suddenly taken from him.  He took some deep breaths to steady his heartbeat and gave Angel an annoyed look.

The vampire smiled weakly.  “I thought it looked like you could use a little help.”

“You mean an extra hand for the cripple?”  Xander sighed as Angel seemed to crumble at his cutting jest.  “Thanks, man.  It’s just, sometimes I wish you would wear a freakin’ bell.”  They walked into the office so he could sit at the desk to eat.

“How’s Dawn?” Angel finally asked quietly.

“Good.  She told me she was going up to try and take a nap.  Sometimes I think she’s holding up better than the rest of us.”  Xander took a swallow of his drink and looked up at Angel.  “It’s not your fault, you know.”

“I should have been here to protect you guys.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it would’ve made a difference.”  Xander leaned back in the chair and turned it to fully face the vampire.  “Angel, he brought a dozen friends with him and made it clear he didn’t need their help.  You couldn’t have done anything.”

Angel shook his head sadly.  “Even if I couldn’t have stopped all of it, he might have focused on me more and not…”

“Listen.  I’ve never been the smart one, or the strong one, or even the very useful one.  I’m just the guy who sees what’s goin’ on around him and tries to stay out of the way.  And what I did see was how you reacted when we came back from the hospital.  Yes, you were worried about my arm, but it was when you saw Dawn’s hand that you found a lighter shade of pale.”

Angel scrubbed a hand over his face and fidgeted like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“I was there, too,” Xander continued.  “I remember.”

“But why her?” Angel finally groaned.  “If he wanted revenge, why not take it out on the monster who did those things to him in the first place?”

“It’s what you tried to warn us about.  He knows us.  He knows how to cause each of us the most pain.  He knew that by giving Dawn some of the injuries Angelus gave him, you would blame yourself for her pain.  He knew that by teasing Buffy about how she treated Giles, it would cause her to make a mistake.  I don’t even wanna think about what he might be putting Wills through.  And he knew the best way to get to Wes was by making him stand by and watch the rest of us get hurt.  We have to face it, Angel, he’s got all our number.  Our only choice is to stick it out and hope we get a lucky break soon.”

Angel suddenly looked up and glanced around.  “You’re right, but…  Have you seen Wes lately?  I thought he’d be in here reading.”

 

***

 

Ethan stretched his long form out on the bed, leaning his head back on folded arms and crossing his ankles.  “Where was I again?”

Turning to sit on the bed facing him, Dawn gathered her legs up under her.  “You’re all in a bar someplace in London.”

“Oh yes, Whitechapel.  We were meeting up with my mate Philip, who’d brought Thomas and Diedre.  And I had Rupert with me so I could introduce him…”

 

_“Excuse me.  I’ll be back.”  Rupert set his pint on the table and headed for the restroom._

_Ethan leaned in to speak to his friends.  “So, what do you think?  Does this one belong in our little group?”_

_“I don’t know,” Philip snorted.  “He seems like a…  Come on, where’d you find him anyway?”_

_“Yeah,” Thomas added, “that accent and those manners…  Seems like a real prat to me.”_

_“Just because you don’t have any manners.  Besides, that’s what he’s trying to get away from, you berk.  Who better to show him the lower side of living?”  Ethan sighed and turned to the dark-eyed beauty at the table.  “Diedre, Luv.  You can see the potential, right?  I’m telling you, this kid has something special.”  He reached out to take her hand._

_“I won’t deny he’s cute, Ethan, even for a clean-cut, bookworm type.  But, do we really want a school boy like ‘im tagging around with us?”  The lovely, young woman gently squeezed his hand.  “We’ve dealt with your crush of the week before, Sweetie.  Male or female, they never work out and we have to deal with the aftermath.”  She lowered her voice for only his ears.  “And the way he was looking at me, you might have more work cut out than you want to put in on this one.”_

_“I think you worked out, Luv.  And how could I blame him for noticing you?”  Ethan flashed her his most charming grin and sighed.  “So, you all think I brought him here as just another pretty face, ay?”_

_“Ethan, don’t get like--” Thomas groaned._

_“No.  You want a sample of why he belongs with us?  I’ll give you one.”  He was eyeing three large footballers who had just entered the pub._

 

“Wait.  Footballers?” Dawn asked.

“You call the sport Soccer here, I believe.  In England some of the fans can become rather rabid.  To clarify, these where muscle-bound sports boys.  Definitely not the sort to tolerate our type at that time.”

“Oh,” the girl laughed, “you mean meatheads.  I’ve got it now.”

 

_“Three Bitters, and keep ‘em comin’,” one of the large men told the bartender._

_“Ethan,” Philip hissed as his friend rose and took his pint from the table, “I’m not in the mood for this tonight.  Start somethin’ and you’re on your own.”_

_Ethan only grinned and moved toward his targets with an exaggerated weaving stagger.  His friends groaned and shook their heads._

_Rupert walked out of the restroom into a sea of noise and chaos.  Patrons were scrambling to escape the pub and get away from the brawl going on across the room.  The young man could see Philip and Thomas tangled up with two big guys, and watched as Ethan took a blow to the stomach that sent him crumpled to the floor._

_“Hey,” Diedre ran at the one who had just dispatched Ethan, “What’s the matter with you.  He’s half your size… pillock!”_

_The muscled brute easily caught Diedre by the wrist and spun her into a tight hold against his body.  She began to shake as he pulled out a long knife and played it along her chest.  “This is a bad part of town for you to be gettin’ any ideas, Missy.  For all you know, I might be the next ripper, just waitin’ for a pretty, little whore like you to slice into.”_

_Diedre’s shimmering eyes locked with the young man across the room.  “Rupert!” she cried._

_“Rupert?” her captor mocked.  “You think a guy with a name like that is gonna be your hero?”_

_As her aggressor laughed, Rupert was already in motion.  One foot planted in a chair, the next on a table, and he was hitting the two that held the other men with a flying tackle.  Rupert was on his feet before their leader could recover from his surprised daze.  Diedre took that instant to ram a heel into his shin and escape his grasp.  Before the brute could reach for his lost prey, Rupert was on him._

_Rupert ducked and dodged, using his superior speed to stay away from the slashing knife blade.  Finally, seeing his opening, he spun in and stripped the weapon away as his forearm wrenched his opponent’s elbow into an unnatural position.  With a second spin, he swiped the large man’s feet out from under him, and was on him as he hit the floor, the tip the knife he now held poking at the man’s abdomen._

_“Who’s the ripper now?” Rupert growled.  “Maybe someone should teach you how to treat a lady.”_

_Rupert’s eyes went as wide as his victims when someone stumbled into him and he felt the knife pierce soft flesh.  He stared into the suddenly pain-filled eyes for what seemed like hours, not knowing how to express his sorrow or beg for forgiveness._

_The seemingly distant voice of the bartender shouted, “Those are fuzz whistles.  You guys get him out of here!”_

_Rupert felt himself being torn away from the man whose blood was now pooling on the floor.  He was hustled out the back door and rushed down an alleyway.  As they went, he could vaguely register that there was celebration going on around him._

_“Did you see that?” Thomas howled.  “Who’s the ripper now?  That was one of the greatest things I’ve heard, Mate!”  He grabbed Rupert’s shoulder and shook it excitedly._

_“I told you,” Ethan chuckled.  “No doubt now that Rupert here belongs with us, ay?”_

_Philip slapped Ethan on the back.  “Not Rupert.  This one needs something that will do him justice.  He’s our Ripper now.”_

_The other two agreed excitedly, but Rupert walked along in silence staring at his blood-stained left hand.  Diedre came up beside him and gently wrapped his hand in a handkerchief before taking it in hers._

_“Don’t worry,” she whispered to him, “you didn’t get ‘im anywhere important.  Hospital will give ‘im a few stitches and he’ll have another scar to show off to his pillock friends.  You didn’t do anything wrong, Sweetie.  Thank you for saving me.”  She leaned up and placed a tender kiss on his cheek._

_He looked at her and smiled with a blush tingeing his cheeks as the voices around him shouted, “To Ripper!”_

 

Dawn grinned.  “That’s such an awesome story.  Why doesn’t he like anyone to know?”

“I would guess he feels that first draw of blood is what started him on the road to worse things.  After that he brought in his good mate, Randall, and…  Well, that’s all history.”  Ethan gave her a pat on the knee.  “Now, I would like to rest a bit before we start our searching again.  So, unless you would like to curl up here and join me, I suggest you leave me to it.”

There was a joking note to Ethan’s voice, but Dawn could tell by the look in his eyes that he would not be opposed to her taking him up on the offer.  A light blush tinged her cheeks as she realized she was actually being flirted with.

“I…” Dawn cleared her throat.  “I should probably go now.  You’ve had a long day and someone might be looking for me.”

As she stepped through the door, she glanced back at the man still stretched on the bed and her blush deepened at his wink.  Dawn couldn’t help a giggle as she rushed away from the room.


	9. The Girl who would be Queen

9\. The Girl who would be Queen

 

Willow groaned in frustration and threw the book she had been reading against the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the soul pulse brightly and turned her frown on it.

“Don’t you start with me...” She pointed a threatening finger. “These are not your books, and if I want to treat one badly, I will. It didn’t have anything helpful anyway. And now look at me! I’m arguing with a jar full of light. This is all your fault, you know. I swear, I’m going to get you out of there, and then I’m going to kick your butt for putting me through this.”

The soul gave a short pulse and Willow could almost hear his soft laughter. She sighed and let a tiny smile fall across her lips. “Every time I hit a dead end and try to think of the next step, my mind says ‘ask Giles, he’ll know’. But now I can’t.” Slumping into her chair, she buried her face in her hands. “This is my fault. I should have been strong enough to let you go.”

A knock at the door elicited no reaction. Karen slipped in and quietly placed another tray on the table. She walked to Willow, as close as she could get without disturbing the books heaped on the floor around the girl. 

“Are you still at it?” she sighed in a very motherly tone. “Have you even taken a break today?” Willow shook her head without looking up. “No one can do nothing but look at books for two days straight, Dear.”

Willow finally looked up at her with a weak smirk. “I know someone who can,” she murmured.

“That may be, but a lovely girl like you needs some rest. Your dinner’s on the table.” Karen tilted her head, studying the girl’s exhausted face. “That can wait if there’s something else you would like to do.”

“I would like to get out of this cage,” the witch chuckled wearily.

Her vampire caretaker thought for a second, then moved to the door to have a short, whispered conversation with the guards. She returned with a smile. “There’s still an hour ‘till sunset and everyone starts waking up. If you’d like to take a walk, we can show you around while it’s quiet.”

It wasn’t exactly what Willow meant, but getting out of that room and clearing her head for a while sounded wonderful. She gave a grateful smile. “I would like that very much. But, won’t you all get in trouble for letting me out?”

“Boys, would you come in here,” Karen called to the guards. Two strong and handsome men that looked to be in their early twenties entered and stood just behind the tiny woman. “You misunderstand our purpose, Hun. These boys aren’t here to keep you prisoner. They are here to make sure you’re well protected. Just as I’m here to make sure you have everything you could ever desire. You are the master’s treasure, and he has given us leave to serve you as we would him.”

“I don’t understand,” Willow whispered.

A guard with shaggy blond hair smiled at her. “If you stay, we will stand watch. If you go, we will follow. If you are in danger, we will die in your defense. And if you are in need, we will provide any comfort or pleasure you might desire.”

A blush crept up Willows cheeks as his deep blue eyes continued to twinkle at her. “I… He would let all that happen?”

“We are yours, Child.” Karen shook her head in amusement. “Here to serve our Queen’s every need.”

Willow just stared at them for a moment. “I’m still not sure I understand what’s going on here. But I am sure that I’m too tired to figure it out right now.” She heaved a sigh. “Is that walk still on offer?”

“Of course, Dear,” Karen grinned, stepping forward to take Willow’s hand. “You have everything you need to feel comfortable, right?”

Patting her pockets, Willow could feel the cross and stake were securely where she had placed them. “Yes ma’am,” she whispered as she exited the room, surrounded by her small entourage.

 

***

BANG! 

“Idiot!” a man dressed all in white shouted at the vampire who was on his knees picking up scattered vegetables. “How am I supposed to serve food that you’ve seen fit to have trampled under foot?” The demon glanced at him with a frightened look. “Just get it cleaned up and start preparing more,” the strange man groaned.

“Chef,” Karen called as she stood next to Willow in the entrance of the noisy kitchen. “You have a visitor.”

“You know that I’m busy…” he began, turning toward her voice. At the sight of Willow, a smile spread on his round, ruddy face and he approached with open arms. “Could this be she? Even more beautiful than I imagined. You are always most welcome in my little kingdom.”

“Willow, this is Chef,” Karen chuckled at her startled expression.

“I do hope that my latest creation has brought you joy.” He kissed her hand. “Or have you come with a wish that I may humbly grant?”

Willow’s fatigued brain took a few moments to decipher what it was he was talking about. “Oh yeah… I’m sorry, but I haven’t tasted my dinner yet. If it’s anything like what I’ve been getting, I’m sure it’s wonderful though.”

“She needed to get out for a bit first,” Karen explained.

“No need to apologize to me, Sweetness. If, when you get back, you find it cold or in any way lacking, send it back here and I’ll make you something new.”

The red-head blushed. “You don’t need to fuss so much over me. I’m sure if you just nuke it…”

“Nuke it!?! You will not find one of those infernal contraptions in my kitchen. And I wound never consider serving you anything less than perfection.” The chef was distracted by a vampire passing behind him with a tray full of meat. “I said rare! There is a difference between rare and raw. If anything, I’d think a vampire would know that.” He turned the vampire around and gave him a shove. “Five more minutes, then into the pot.” Shaking his head, he groaned to his visitors, “This is why vampires make horrible kitchen staff.”

“You make it sound like all of this is so normal. Aren’t you a prisoner here?”

“A prisoner?” Chef laughed. “I’ll tell you, this is the best gig I’ve had since I started working for demons years ago.”

Willow was confused. “But, you are human, aren’t you?”

The chef’s round belly shook with a laugh. “When I came out of culinary school, I was recruited by one of the finest restaurants in the city. Worked me to death and burned me out so bad, I hated everything about cooking. One night, I wandered into this bar, trying to find one more drink, and instead I found a new world. Turns out demons appreciate the talents of someone who is willing and able to prepare anything they could ask for.”

“So, you work here?”

“One of the nicest places in a long time, too. Good pay. A decent kitchen. Room and board if I want it. Protection. The classiest boss I’ve ever encountered, and not just in the demon world. Plus, I can’t tell you how nice it is to be cooking for humans again. I can actually taste the food I make.”

“Wait,” Willow stopped him. “Humans? You mean there’s more than just me?”

Chef frowned under Karen’s glare, which had disappeared by the time Willow turned to her. “Of course there are others,” she smiled at the girl. “The master welcomes anyone willing to do their part for the future good.”

Willow couldn’t help feeling suspicious but, with another human standing next to her who was obviously, not only alive, but in a position of some authority, she hoped for those suspicions to be proven wrong. “May I see the others?” she asked carefully.

“I don’t see why not.” Karen looked up at Chef with masked anger.

“I am about to send out dinner for the others,” he interjected. “They’ll be going to their rooms to eat and rest.”

“I have an idea,” the vampire grinned. “Why don’t we wait on that a bit so we don’t disturb their rest? I’ve been wanting to show you the beautiful ballroom here.”

“Okay, I guess,” Willow agreed quietly and followed her personal guards out the door.

“I’m sorry,” Chef whispered to Karen.

“I know. Don’t worry, he’ll have her focus before long.”

“Will I see you later?” he pressed up close to the vampire.

“Depends. Are you going to serve me a hot breakfast?”

A growl rumbled from deep within him. “You know I always do.”

 

***

The large double doors of the ballroom were pushed opened before Willow. She entered and gazed around the room. It was as beautiful as promised. High, vaulted ceilings with frescos of dancers in lovely gowns and gentlemen in tuxedos. Hanging chandeliers of gold-plated steel and crystal. Shining marble floors. 

In the very center of the room, a lone figure caught her attention. Willow and her group stood silently and watched as the dark-haired, young man, who was wearing only a pair of simple, white workout pants, was slowly performing a series of fluid and precise movements with his body. The simple beauty of his motion was on the verge of lolling the exhausted girl to sleep, when his sudden kiyup echoed through the expansive room, making her jump. Upon the battle cry, his movements became more rapid and forceful, throwing punches and leaping into kicks aimed in all directions around him. The added violence made the artistic motion of his martial dance no less absorbing. By the time he landed in a full split, moving into a handstand and bending gracefully back onto his feet, Willow couldn’t help but applaud.

Justin jogged across to the small group and politely bowed to Willow. “I apologize. I didn’t realize anyone else was here yet.”

“Apologize?” Willow gasped. “That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.” She couldn’t help a chuckle. “And, coming from me, that’s saying something.”

Justin flashed a shy, charming smile. “Thank you. It was just a small warm-up routine. I find it helps to be ready before he gets here.”

Before Willow could voice the question on her lips, a door farther down the room opened, and a single figure started towards them. She blinked a few times, making sure her eyes were focusing correctly. He was dressed exactly the same as the young man standing beside her. Loose-fitting, white exercise pants and nothing else. Bare arms, bare chest, bare feet… Willow let out a long, slow breath. He may not have been as well defined as the younger man, but there were small details about his body that brought a rugged masculinity to him. With a sudden dryness in her mouth, Willow could not figure out what it was that Giles had always felt the need to hide.

Magister stopped when he had joined the small group and turned an unreadable expression on Karen. “Please,” Willow felt a sudden need to intercede, “it’s not their fault. I needed a walk.”

“Their fault?” he smiled as his gaze focused on her. “I’m just so pleased that you are finally comfortable enough to explore your new home, My Love.” He gently took her hand and kissed it. “I hope you’ve enjoyed everything they’ve shown you so far. And that they’ve treated you as you deserve.”

“Oh,” Willow blushed shyly, “everyone’s been nothing but kind. I kinda feel like a princess.”

“Only a princess?” Magister grinned. “Then we shall have to try a bit harder.”

Karen smiled. “She’s still getting used to us. I’m sure she will learn how very willing and happy we are to serve her in time.”

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Justin said quietly, “but if we don’t want to be interrupted, we should begin.”

“What’s going on? Should I go?”

“Willow, you are never an interruption.” His green eyes gazed brightly at her. “I would take great encouragement from your staying.” 

“What would you like to start with today?” Justin asked as they turned from her and headed out into the room.

“I think it’s time to try the crossbow. Your hesitation is understandable,” he said upon seeing the young man’s frown, “but we have already put it off for too long. They will come soon, and I must be ready.”

“As always, you’re right. The crossbow then.” With a parting pat on the shoulder from his sire, Justin ran to one end of the large room. It was only then that Willow noticed the tables lining the wall and covered with white sheets.

The young Sensei pulled the covering off two of the tables to reveal that they held an assortment of crossbows, each loaded and ready to fire, along with a pile of wooden bolts. He picked one up and aimed it toward his master, who was standing peacefully in the center of the room. Willow gasped when Magister nodded and Justin squeezed the trigger.

The big vampire moved almost faster that the eye could register, dodging the deadly projectile with ease. But, before Willow could even breathe in relief, another weapon was grabbed and another bolt fired.

Magister was a blur of flowing and exact movements. He dodged and tumbled, avoiding each shot with a calm grace that belied the impossibility of the feats he was performing. Even when he encountered the few support columns and walls that entered his path, they became less obstacles and more extra surfaces to run along and launch from into tumbling rolls.

Soon, Justin was down to his last crossbow, forcing him to reload, and slowing him considerably. Magister slowed too, and this allowed Willow to see blood running down his side from a bolt that had managed to come too close.

“Shouldn’t somebody help him?” she whispered absentmindedly.

“You heard her,” Karen commanded the two guards.

Before Willow knew what was happening, her guards ran to Justin’s side and began loading and firing more deadly bolts. Magister moved faster than ever, spinning between some and deflecting others with swipes and kicks.

Finally, Justin had the last bolt in his hand. He quickly loaded, swung the weapon around to aim at Willow, and fired. The flabbergasted witch saw the world slow down in that moment. She watched the bolt coming straight for her heart, yet felt as if she was paralyzed. There was nothing she could do. At the last moment, a hand appeared in front of her, allowing the wood to pierce its flesh, and twisted, breaking the bolt into three splinters, two of which fell harmlessly to the floor.

“How dare you!” Magister roared as Justin and the others ran towards them.

“Please accept my apology, Sir.” His protégé bowed humbly. “These sessions are meant to discover any weaknesses you might have. I simply aimed for the part of you in the room that may be exploited as such.”

Magister glared at the young man, but his anger melted quickly as he soon realized that his hand was being cradled in Willow’s tender grasp as she examined his wound. “We’re gonna have to get the rest of this wood out,” she mumbled thoughtfully. Catching sight of her shaggy haired guard, she ordered, “Get me a first aid kit. At least bandages and a bottle of alcohol.” The vampire quickly ran to the corner of the room and retrieved a box.

Magister smiled, “Willow, there’s no need-”

“You, shut up and let me help you.” The sentence fell from her lips so easily, so familiarly. She must have said it to Giles dozens of times over the years. And his response, a resigned but grateful sigh, was exactly as it had always been. One moment that would always be the same while the world changed around them.

Willow took the offered box and opened it, quickly finding what she needed. First, she pulled out a pair of needle-nosed pliers. “Okay, brace yourself.”

The vampire smiled, but hissed in pain as she ripped the remaining wood from his flesh. “Bloody girl!” he cursed with the unexpected sting.

“That’ll teach you to play with sticks,” she fussed at him as she took the alcohol. “What do you boys think you’re doing anyway?” He let a groan escape as the burning liquid ran straight through his hand. “Oh suck it up. You’re a big, tough vampire, remember?”

He began to chuckle, and looked down at her adoringly as she wrapped his hand in a bandage. “Thank you,” he whispered, but groaned again when she went for the wound on his side. When she had finished, he sighed, “Your kindness is appreciated. It’s getting late, Love, you should return to your room.”

“I think I will.” Willow shoved the box at Justin. “If coming down here means having to watch you try to get yourself killed, I think I prefer my room.” As punctuation, she spun on her heels and led her two guards out the doors.

Karen stepped in close to Magister. “She’s almost ready, My Lord. It won’t be long until she’s yours.”

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him. “It seems you may be right. She is becoming more a queen all the time.” Magister bent, and took his sire’s mouth in a searching kiss. “Go. Tend to her.” He playfully pushed her towards the doors.

With a huge grin, he turned and caught the tiny vampire, who came flying at him from somewhere above with a fearsome scream.

“I almost got you that time,” Robyn laughed in his arms.

“You did, My Lovely,” he chuckled, squeezing her tight. “Soon you will be able to sneak up even on me.”

 

***

Willow shifted in her chair. She could feel the cushions starting to mold to her, and the thought of having sat there for long enough to have that happen irritated her. When they got back from the ballroom, the boys had left her alone to eat in peace. The food had been wonderful as always, but the adrenaline still coursing through her made getting any real rest impossible. So, here she was, back in the books.

But, had all of that really just happened? She’d lost her temper and yelled at a vampire, in a whole room of them, as if he were a foolish child. And all he did was smile at her. That glorious, heart-melting, loving smile that was so perfectly… Giles. Willow shook the vision from her head.

“It’s not…” she whispered, looking at the urn. “He’s not you. You’re you. I don’t know what he’s trying to pull, but I have to remember that. I have to remember.”

Her gaze shot back to the book in her lap when the door quietly swung open. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him. Without a word, he crossed the room, sat in the other chair, set a mug down on the table beside him, and picked up a book to begin reading.

As they sat together, Willow’s mind couldn’t help flashing back to long evenings in England. Perfect evenings spent doing nothing but sitting silently in a library together, reading. It was one of the many simple things Giles had done to help her through the worst of her grief. He never forced her to talk to him, never pushed her to do anything she wasn’t ready for. He was always just there, ready to listen and support her when the pain came rushing out. Most days were hard, especially in the beginning, with the coven trying to control her magick and teach her how to do the same. But, in the evenings there was just him. Willow still didn’t understand how he had forgiven her for what she had done to him, to everyone, but without him she was sure she could have never made it through.

She was pulled out of her reveries by the door cracking open again, and the sight of a small girl bounding across the room. With no hesitation, the little blond jumped into the vampire’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Can I have another lesson now?” she asked with a huge grin. Magister ducked his head slightly and peered sternly up at her. The little girl sighed. “May I please have another lesson now?”

“Of course you may.” He kissed her brow with a radiant smile.

It was the kind of smile Willow was sure she’d never seen on that face. As she watched him lift the girl and turn her to sit on his lap, she suddenly felt tears pricking at her eyes. How had she never seen it before? This perfect picture of everything Giles could have had - no, should have had - threw into sharp relief everything he had given up. Was it all for his calling? For Buffy? For all of them? Had they ever taken the time to let him know how much he meant to them? Meant to her?

Willow blinked rapidly to combat the tears that threatened as she watched him joyfully nuzzle his cheek into the girl’s silky hair and hold a book out before them both. A smile slowly spread on her lips when the little blond began to read aloud. Latin, of course he would be teaching the child Latin.

Robyn read tentatively at first, feeling her way through the language as all new students do. His gentle corrections of her pronunciation were taken gratefully and assimilated rapidly. By the time she reached the end of the page, she was reading with confidence and authority.

“That was excellent,” Magister praised the girl, who wiggled with pride. “Now, can you tell me what all of that meant?”

Robyn leaned back into him so she could turn her head to see his face. “I think it was telling us how to do a blessing on a field, so that the crop will grow up big and strong.”

“That is exactly right.”

The little girl sighed thoughtfully. “Sometimes I want to grow up big and strong… Just so I could make you proud of me. And it makes me sad that I can’t.”

“I’m not sad,” he whispered, his lips pressed against her hair. “I get to keep you as my tiny one for always. You have no idea of the joy that gives me. I’m already proud of you.”

Willow quietly cleared her throat. “Your Latin is so good. I could never really get the hang of it. Do you like learning it?”

Robyn gave her a brilliant smile. “Yeah… That one’s not too hard. I’m having a little trouble with the Sumerian. I don’t think my tongue likes it very much. But my favorite is Greek!”

Willow couldn’t help laughing. “Are you really making her learn all that?”

“Making her?” Magister chuckled. “She’s insatiable. And you know how I can’t resist having a star pupil.”

“Can we do another?” Robyn bounced excitedly.

“Here,” Willow got up and moved to sit on the arm of their chair. She passed Robyn the book she had been working on. “I’ve just finished translating this passage. Maybe you can help me check that I got it right.”

Robyn shifted on Magister’s lap so she could snuggle back between both him and Willow. She held the book out so everyone could see and began to read and translate. “In order to, uh, free the…”

“Object,” he provided softly.

“Yeah… In order to free the object from this ward of protection, sprinkle the…”

Willow offered, “I have that word as midnight.”

“Correct.”

“Midnight, yes! …sprinkle the midnight sands of a… clean? No, it’s virgin, right?” He nodded. “…midnight sands of a virgin beach mixed with the pure salts of love.”

“That’s what I thought it said, too,” Willow murmured.

“Now, there’s a portrait worthy to be framed.” They all looked up to see Karen standing by the fireplace. “You look like you belong together.”

Willow realized she was snuggled up with the demon-inhabited body of her friend and the vampire child and pulled away slowly. If they noticed her slight withdraw, they didn’t acknowledge it.

“Robyn,” Karen continued. “Justin is waiting for you to begin class.”

“Do I have to?” the girl turned to look at Magister. “I wanna stay with you guys.”

“You know if you want to join me outside, you must be prepared, Little One. I need to know you’ll be safe.” He smiled at her pout. “You do want to go with me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “All right… I’ll go.”

She slid off his lap and turned to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. Then she stepped over and gave Willow the same kiss. With a giggle, the little girl spun and ran out with Karen. The red-headed witch stared after her, unconsciously bringing a hand to her cheek.

“So,” Magister said, causing Willow to jump off the arm of his chair, “what shall we do about this?” He smiled and held up the book.

Willow chuckled a little at herself. “It looks like you’ve beaten me,” she sighed wearily. “I have no idea where I’m gonna find midnight sands from a virgin beach.”

The vampire stood and extended a hand to her. “Well… If you would honor me with your company, perhaps we can find some together.”

With an unsure look, Willow slid her hand into his. Magister bent to kiss it, and when he rose, Willow suddenly felt a warm breeze caressing her face. She looked up into his face, haloed by the golden glow of a setting sun. But the lovely image quickly faded as smoke began pouring off of him. Not letting herself think, she threw her full weight into his chest and forced him back into the shadows of a hardened lava shelf-face. 

“Geez… What’s wrong with you? A vampire should be more aware of time zones if he wants to be all big with the teleporting!” He smiled at her. “What? I’m yelling at you here, you know? Stop grinning at me like that.”

“You could have let me burn,” he smiled.

“I should’ve. That would have taught you…”

“But you didn’t.”

“Yeah, well…” Willow muttered, “I’d be kinda stuck here. Where ever it is you’ve brought me.” She finally looked around. About ten paces from the short cliff-face, clear blue ocean waves lapped the shoreline. In the distance, the white sail of a boat cut across the water under small, fluffy clouds set in the rose-colored sky. To her left she could see a stand of palm trees blowing in the breeze, tall enough that they must have just escaped this recent flow. And to her right, a fair hike up the beach, was a red glow, growing brighter as the sun quickly set, and meeting the sea to create billowing columns of steam.

When it was safe, he came up behind her and wrapped her in a loose embrace. Willow couldn’t fight it. His arms created the perfect feeling for the perfect setting.

“You could have found a way home,” he whispered in her ear. “That’s not why you saved me.”

She chuckled. “You’re right. I’m gonna be needing that body. And I’d appreciate it if you’d stop being so reckless with it before I have a chance to do what I want with it.”

“Oh?” the vampire growled excitedly.

She bent to scoop up a handful of the newly formed black sand, and turned in his arms to look up at him with a sly smile. “Yep. See, my friend’s gonna be needing it soon.”

“You’re teasing me now,” Magister rumbled. “That’s not very nice.”

“Which volcano did you bring me to?” she whispered, draping her arms around his waist.

“This is Mount Kilauea.”

“I thought so,” Willow purred. “I’ve always wanted someone to take me to Hawaii.”

“Willow… please,” he groaned, gazing into her eyes. “Bless me with a kiss before I wither from need of your radiance.”

She ducked her head. “I’m scared.”

“Of me, My Love?”

“I’m not ready,” Willow whispered. “I don’t want to die.”

He brought her tear-filled eyes up to meet his gaze. “Why should you die? Dearest, I could never harm you. I only mean to love you.”

“But, I thought…”

“In time… But only when you are ready to step into my arms forever. Until then, I’m perfectly content to have my queen in human from. To love you just as you are.”

Willow swallowed. Slowly, she leaned up and met him in a soft, tender kiss. When she pulled back and opened her eyes, they were once again in her room.

“There you two are.” Karen’s voice startled Willow. “What am I going to do with you two? Gallivanting off to God knows where while I’m left here to worry.” She got between them and started pushing Magister towards the door. “Now, the poor girl needs to get some rest. You need to go.” She turned back to Willow. “And I’ve already drawn you a nice warm bath. Go relax for a while, then straight to bed.” Willow stared at her blankly. “That’s an order young lady.”

Karen pushed her master out the door and closed it behind them, leaving Willow alone. The witch turned to the urn.

“He’s not you,” she whispered, letting her tears fall into the sand in her hand. She threw the black grains over the urn and the air around it crackled. Carefully, she reached out and ran a finger slowly down the glass. She could touch it now, but still felt her magick being forced away. There were more wards in the way.

 

***

Magister looked at Karen with dangerous eyes. “She was in my arms. She accepted my kiss.”

“I saw that,” his sire smiled at him.

“And you force me from her now, when I’m so close?”

“Patience, My Lord. You are reaching her heart, but you know as well as I do that you need to give her mind time to follow. If you had taken her now, she might have resented you when her head cleared in the morning. Then you would have to earn her trust all over again.”

Magister growled. She was right, but the need for Willow crawled beneath his skin. “And are you prepared to take her place in satisfying me now?”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him playfully. “I have other obligations to attend to,” Karen grinned at him. “Go on and find one of your toys if she has you so riled up. You have time before Justin and the others will be looking for you.” She shoved him down the hall toward his rooms.

When the doors slammed open, Harmony was lounging on the bed, reading a magazine. She jumped up with a squeak. “Hey…”

“Where’s Drusilla?” Magister rumbled.

“Oh… Yeah… She went out for the night. Had a meeting or something. I didn’t really pay attention. But I’m here. If you, um, need anything.”

He stalked toward her in a way that would have made her heart speed up, if that were still possible. Grabbing her roughly by the arm, he spun her and pressed her back hard against him. “Looks like it’s just you and me, Harm. Think you can handle the job alone?”

Harmony couldn’t help a yip of excitement as he reached around her and popped the button of her pants. He took no care to be gentle as he pushed her forward over a table. “Hey! Watch the designer stuff,” she whined when he tugged her pants down with enough force to rip the material.

“Willow,” he groaned, pushing his way inside.

“Now that’s just not nice. I don’t care who you pretend I am, but calling me the name, that’s just-” As Magister pumped ferociously into her, he lunged forward sank his fangs into the blond vampire’s shoulder. “Oh, Master…” Harmony sighed with the ecstasy of the extra penetration.

 

***

Willow stepped out of the bubble bath and wrapped the luxurious robe around her. The hot water had done little to ease the stress in her shoulders. Hours upon hours of poring over books, trying to find the answers were beginning to wear on her. She’d thought she’d known Giles as well as anybody, perhaps even more than any of the others Scoobies. Sure, Buffy had that whole Slayer-Watcher bond going with him, but she had spent the most time with him. She was the one who could tell what was troubling him by the look on his face. She was the one who could finish sentences for him. And, by goddess, she was the one who could figure out this stupid little puzzle and bring him back to them. Bring him back to her.

The witch stared at her bed for a few moments. She couldn’t bring herself to glance back to where Giles’ prison was waiting for her. Willow couldn’t even see straight enough to read anymore. Exhaustion was closing in on her. She would rest for an hour or two, and then go back to work.

As long, comforting arms stretched around her, she couldn’t help but snuggle back into the solid chest. Her head lolled to the side, allowing firm, velvet lips to play along her neck.

“You know you’re not really here, right?” she murmured. “You’re a figment of my imagination. Nothing but a fantasy.”

“Is that all you want me to be? Just a fantasy?”

Willow sighed as he softly nibbled at the shell of her ear. “That’s all I could ever have of you. The real you.”

“But I am real. And I’m here now. Command me to be your deepest desire and that is what you shall have.”

She spun in his arms, wrapped hers around his neck, and took his lips in a demanding kiss. “I command you to love me,” Willow purred.

Without a moment of hesitation, he scooped her into his arms. “Done,” he growled. “As it’s always been and always shall be.” He strode to the bed, never taking his eyes from hers, and placed her gently on the comforter.

Willow arched into his touch as he slowly parted the material of her robe and caressed along her delicate skin. Her flesh seared where they made contact, screaming its joy in the ecstasy of his passionate explorations. His hands, rough and hard, stroked over her as if she were the most delicate china. As her body was revealed to his vision, his eyes swept along its curves adoringly. The endearing smile that danced on his lips showing nothing but the deepest pleasure.

Placing feather light kisses along her collarbone, he rumbled, “Now I know you cannot be a fantasy. My feeble imagination could never invent one of such beauty.”

Willow moaned and wiggled under his attentions. “You now have me at a disadvantage. Will you show me everything you’ve always hidden?”

“How does one hide from the eyes of a goddess? I lay my body, heart, and soul at your feet.” He stood beside the bed and removed his clothing article by article, baring himself to her scrutiny.

Willow made a show of slowly scanning his body. Enjoying the blush that formed on his chest and cheeks as he awaited her verdict, though he made no move to hinder her appraisal in any way.

A grin spread on her face as she spoke in high tones, relishing her roll in this fantasy, “I find your offering to be acceptable. You may continue in your worship.”

The light that glowed in his eyes as he slowly approached was beautiful to her. It was love, and lust, and longing, everything she’s ever dreamed of seeing when he looked at her. He slowly climbed onto the bed next to her, taking his time, knowing each instant of waiting only intensified her arousal.

When his lips finally returned to her over-heated skin it was all she could do not to writhe uncontrollably beneath his touch. “With each kiss I pray to you,” he hummed more than spoke against her skin as he traveled down her flat stomach. “With each caress you bless my unworthy hands with the most priceless of gifts. With each murmur you grace my ears with holy music. Take me as your humble servant, my fire goddess, my Willow.”

Tears leaked from her eyes at his beautiful words and her hips rose of their own accord, begging more of his masterful touch. In an instant he was above her, his eyes locked with hers, asking unspoken permission. Unable to find her voice, Willow nodded her approval.

“I give you all that I am,” he breathed as he slowly pressed into her. The silk steel of him siding in, filling her, making her weep for the completeness of their union. As he began slow, long, agonizingly sensuous stokes, Willow’s head rolled back and her eyes closed with the intensity of what he was creating within her.

“Giles,” she whispered breathlessly.

Her eyes snapped open and she was suddenly staring into a cold, demon face. “And now you’re mine,” he laughed with an ugly grin.

 

Willow woke shivering. She was curled up on her bed, wrapped in the large, soft robe. Her body ached with arousal from the vivid dream. She clutched the cross in her hand tightly to her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Sound drifted in to her through the closed terrace doors. Random plucking and strumming of guitar stings. Soon the random chords grew into a rolling melody and the music of the guitar was joined by an angelic voice.

 

Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?  
Would you run, and never look back?  
Would you cry, if you saw me cry?  
And would you save my soul, tonight?

Would you tremble, if I touched your lips?  
Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this.  
Now would you die, for the one you loved?  
Hold me in your arms, tonight.

Willow slowly slid off the bed, his voice drawing her to the doors. The lovely pleas of the song were made even more potent by the situation. A soulless vampire crying out to her, begging for her love to save him.

 

I can be your hero, baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.

Would you swear, that you'll always be mine?  
Or would you lie? Would you run and hide?  
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care... You're here tonight.

She placed her hand on the door and leaned her forehead against it. Hot tears began their all too familiar course down her cheeks. How was she supposed to withstand? Everything she ever wanted was right there, asking only for her love. So what if it wasn’t quite the same man? Maybe this would be her only chance to feel his love. 

 

I can be your hero, baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.

Oh, I just want to hold you.  
I just want to hold you.  
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care... You're here tonight.

I can be your hero, Willow.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by your forever.  
You can take my breath away.

 

Willow sank to her knees. All she had to do was open those doors, reach out and take what her body was screaming for. He had promised not to hurt her. He swore that he only wanted to love her. Why not just once? Here and now, only to feel what could be, even if she knew it never would be with the man she wanted. By now it was clear that Giles did love her, but she new he would never admit it, never act on it. God, her heart ached and her body burned.

I can be your hero.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
And I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.  
You can take my breath away.  
I can be your hero.

 

She couldn’t take it anymore. With a pitiful sob, Willow burst through the doors, ready the fall into the arms of death itself if she had to. She needed him. At that moment she needed him more than she had ever needed anything in her whole life. As the doors flew open she was greeted by darkness and the empty night. Willow was alone.

The witch slowly walked back into her room and over to the table where the urn sat. She slumped to her knees in front of it as sobs wracked her slender frame. Giles’ soul pulsed and she could feel him pity her, even from his formless prison.

“Why now?” she wept. “Why did I have to figure out how much I truly needed you after I lost you? Why couldn’t you let me know before? This always happens to me when the world’s collapsing.” She reached up, knowing nothing but cold glass was there to greet her fingertips. “I love you.”

Willow cried herself to sleep, curled up at the base of the table as Giles’ soul silently watched over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional Disclaimer: “Hero” can be found on the album Escape by Enrique Iglesias. I know, sappy love song by a Latin pretty boy. Just imagine an acoustic version with Tony’s voice and sung by a vampire. ;)


	10. Who Wrote This Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister wanted more Wesley. She should be careful what she asks for.

10\. Who Wrote This Shit

 

“This had better be good,” Magister growled, tossing his guitar to another vampire as he exited the hotel next to Justin.

“I wouldn’t have disturbed you, Sir, but one of our teams has found their seer. I thought you’d like to know immediately.”

The big vampire let a smile dance across his lips. “Ah, the lovely Cordelia. It would be nice to pay her a visit.”

Justin nodded to the group of five young vampires waiting for them in the parking lot. “You’re sure it’s the right girl?”

“Yes, Sir,” one of them answered. “She’s been hiding in a club across town. It’s a place that caters to both demons and humans.” He turned his eyes on Magister. “You should know, Master, this place is protected by a powerful sanctuary spell. I don’t doubt your ability to overcome it, but we can do no harm until that time.”

Magister grinned as he climbed onto a beautiful black vintage Triumph Trident motorcycle. “Who says we want to do any harm? We’re merely going to pay an old friend a visit.”

His bike roared to life as Justin mounted the Ducati beside him. With thunder echoing off the buildings around them, the seven bikes weaved effortlessly through the streets of L.A.

 

***

“What’s a matter, Puddin’ Pop? You know I can’t stand to see sad faces in my place.”

Cordelia looked up at the Host of Caritas, Lorne. Crimson eyes set against a deep green complexion. It still amazed her that the strange demon face could convey such a caring expression. “Sorry,” she sighed, “I don’t mean to be a bad guest. It’s been so great of you to let us hide here. It’s just been over a week now. And I feel like such a coward hanging out in a bar when my friends are out there getting hurt. By another friend!”

“You’re always welcome here, Sweet Plum. You’ve done all you can. You told them when you had a vision. They know everything you do. I’m just glad there’s no way this guy that has you so scared can hurt you here.” He motioned to the bartender. “Here, looks like you could use another drink.”

Cordelia huffed, “What I could use is for the Powers to get off their asses and tell me how to help my friends! All of them.”

Music from the karaoke stage started in a familiar intro and Lorne groaned. “I swear, if one more Fyarl demon comes in here and starts butchering The Who…”

He sighed in relief as a wonderful, rich male voice began singing, “No one knows what it’s like to be the bad man, to be the sad man… behind blue eyes.”

“Now that’s more like it,” Lorne grinned, looking up at the stage.

Cordelia reached out to steady him as he suddenly grabbed his head and slumped into the chair next to her. She shook him, calling to him, but his head came to rest on the table, unconscious. Trying to find the reason, she glanced up at the stage and her breath stopped short. It was him.

At least, it looked like Giles. The man she’d known in her school days had never looked so relaxed, so comfortable, so… hot. And that voice. Who knew the old librarian had pipes like that. He totally put Angel to shame. She bet he could even give Lorne a run for his money. That is, if the demon next to her was conscious.

A raucous round of applause filled the club when the song ended. He humbly took his bow and left the stage. Cordelia slowly rose from her seat and held onto the back for support as he strode towards her.

“Hello, My Dear,” he grinned, stopping a few feet in front of her.

“Okay,” Cordelia held up a hand, “I know you’re evil right now and you probably came here to kill me and all. But before any of that, I just want to say, Wow! You have a really great voice, plus you look absolutely amazing. And shame on you for never sharing any of this with us when you were alive.” She hunched her shoulders and turned her head slightly away. “Now, could you just make it quick, ‘cause I’m not really big on any more pain.”

Magister tilted his head to regard her and slowly lifted his hand.

“Don’t you touch her!” Gunn howled, flying at the vampire, an ax raised high.

Magister didn’t even blink. Inches from his target, the young warrior hit an invisible force-field and went flying backwards, crashing through a table.

“Hey!” Gunn shouted. “I thought it only stopped demon violence.”

“It does,” Lorne groaned groggily. “That wasn’t my sanctuary spell.”

“It was a minor addition of my own,” Magister provided. “Since my men and I have come here meaning no violence, I thought it only fair that we were protected as well.” He approached Gunn and offered him a hand up. It was not taken. “May I say that you are everything I anticipated. You’re the only one to have met me with such unbridled, deadly force thus far. But then, you aren’t hindered by any sentimental attachment to this body, are you?”

Gunn stood, keeping a tight grip on his ax. “Man, if all that means I didn’t know the guy, you’re right. I’m here to protect Cordy. That’s what I intend to do.”

“The soldier on a mission. Something I can understand. Perhaps, one day you will consider joining my little band of brothers.”

“I would rather die than be one of you,” Gunn spat.

The vampire chuckled, “A sentiment that was once shared by… the ‘guy you didn’t know’. Funny how things change, My Boy.”

Cordelia cleared her throat to gain his attention. “You’re really not here to kill me?” Magister shook his head with a charming smile. The pretty brunette suddenly huffed, “So what, am I not even worth killing now? You go all wild on everyone else, but Cordy’s not worth the effort?” She stopped long enough to catch the look in his eyes. “Oh… Oh no, none of that. Angel told me what you’ve been up to, and that’s so not happening either. I know I said you were looking good and all. But, remember, last I saw you, you were still tweed man.”

“Shh…” he pressed a finger to her lips, letting it slide along the sensitive skin as it dropped away. “None of this, that, or the other. I promise. However, I would be very interested to know what all you’ve been sharing with our friend Angel. At this point, I have a long future ahead of me, and any insights you’ve been given might be very useful to me.”

His feather light fingers running up and down Cordelia’s upper arm were making her shiver all over. “I… uh… I know what you’re up to.”

“Stop doing that,” Gunn growled. “How come the damn thing’s letting him touch her?”

“Because he’s not trying to hurt me,” Cordelia snapped. “At least, not in any way the magick recognizes. And you,” she caught his wrist and pushed it way, “you can stop trying to use your Jedi mind tricks or whatever on me. If I tell you anything, you’ll use it to hurt our friends. I’d rather let you kill me.”

“Cordy dearest, your spirit has never disappointed me.” He leaned in, his voice a chilling whisper in her ear. “When the time comes, I will relish breaking you.” A cold shiver ran down her spine as he pulled back with a smile.

Lorne got to his feet with a pain-filled groan. “The lady as much as told you to get lost. I suggest you do that.”

“I was told you read the destinies of those who sing for you. Nothing to tell me?”

“Only that your future hit me in the head like a ten pound sledge hammer.” The green demon pressed the heel of his hand to his aching head. “If you must know… Two lay claim to one house. One will always be master, while the other is prisoner.”

“And which shall remain master?” Magister smirked.

“That, you’ll have to find out for yourself. I blacked out before I could tell.”

“Master,” Justin came up beside his sire. “We have word that the bait has been taken. Your prey is on the move.”

“Well… Then it seems we have two appointments to attend tonight. Send word to the others to meet us there.” He bowed to Cordelia. “Until our next meeting then. I bid you farewell, My Dear.”

Cordelia let out a breath only when Magister led his men out of the club. “You all right, Pudding?” Lorne asked as he helped guide her to a chair.

“Yeah… yeah, I just got a little shaken. Seeing him like that was a little more than I was ready for.”

 

***

“Buffy, we have a problem.”

Buffy set her bag down just inside the door and sighed. “The standard Buffy greeting. What is it now?”

Angel had a book in his hands while Xander followed him out of the office with a notepad. “It’s Wes, he’s gone,” Xander provided.

“Gone as in how? There’s no way he was taken in broad daylight.”

Angel shook his head. “I was here all day. Besides, we don’t think he was kidnapped.”

“So the little twerp bolted on us?” Buffy shook her head. “And I thought when he finally got the Council stick out of his ass and hooked up with you he’d actually figured out how to be useful.”

“It’s not exactly like that,” Xander sighed, having jumped to the same conclusion hours before. “We’ve just spent half the day trying to follow the trail he did a damn good job of covering up.”

“We think he must have found this prophecy earlier today. It took me nearly an hour to translate it.”

Xander handed her the pad. “But what Angel came up with fits with the notes I found in the trash. Here’s what the prophecy says.” Buffy read the paragraph written on the page.

 

And so it shall come to pass that the end of one line of Those Who Watch shall fall to darkness. Brought about not by the will of evil, but by the heart of love. Great power shall be held over the destiny of the Slayer. Only in sacrifice might this threat be quelled. For as the last of one line has fallen, the last of another shall pay with blood to set the course anew. Under a shattered moon in a place where stars gaze at stars, one shall die and one shall be freed.

 

“Who wrote this shit?!?”

“It was written in Romanian. An old Gypsy dialect. Buffy,” Angel explained, “he’s gone to sacrifice himself. Both Wes and Giles are from families that have been in the Council for hundreds of years. And neither have children to carry on the lines. This says that if Wes willingly lets Giles take his blood, then Giles might be saved.”

Buffy blinked at the page for a few minutes, deep in thought. When she looked up at the guys, her face was set in a determined expression. “No… We are going to get Giles back, but I’m not going to let anyone else die because of this. And, have I ever told you how much I hate prophecies?”

“We’re with ya, Buff,” Xander sighed in relief. “Not big on the whole sacrificing thing.”

“We need to figure out when and where, so we can be there to stop this from going down.” Buffy lowered her eyes to re-read the translation.

“Luckily, it says all that right there.” Xander pointed to the last line. “We’re guessing that the shattered moon is a new moon.”

“Yes, and I was here back in the golden days of Hollywood. When it opened, the Griffith Park Observatory was host to a lot of parties. It’s where the stars went to gaze at stars. For the past few years, many of the buildings up there have been closed for renovation. Earthquake damage. It’s the best guess I have.”

“So, the new moon is tonight, and Wes is on his way to a park to let himself be murdered… And I thought I was coming home with the bad news that I didn’t find anything today.” Buffy rubbed her tired eyes. “Where’s Faith?”

“She got back a little before sunset,” Angel glanced at the stairs. “I sent her up to get some rest.” The phone ringing pulled him away from the conversation.

“I’m cool,” Faith appeared at the top of the stairs. “We gettin’ ready for a scrap tonight?”

“Angel and I are going after Wes. I need you to stay here with the others.” Both Faith and Xander began to protest. “Xand, this is gonna be bad and you’re not a hundred percent. Besides, I need to know that you’ve got Dawn.” The young man nodded.

“Listen, B. You’re not quite in top form either. I owe Wes, and I--”

“I know, but this one is my mess.” Buffy looked into the other Slayer’s eyes. “I’ve had vamps pull a fast one on me before. Now, I’m leaving you here to protect my sister, my best friend, and… well Ethan. But you get what I’m saying, right?”

Faith let a small smile play on her lips and blinked in understanding. “Save his troublemaking little hide,” she whispered.

“That’s the plan.” 

Angel retuned and handed Buffy a sword. “That was Cordy. She just got a visit from an old friend.”

“He didn’t hurt her, did he?” Xander frowned at the thought.

“No, just shook her up a little bit. She said he was asking about her visions. She didn’t tell him anything, but he left in a hurry, talking about bait and prey.”

“Then we have to get to Wes before he does,” Buffy nodded and they hurried for the car.

Ethan was on his way down the stairs. “Trouble in paradise?”

“One way to put it,” Faith smiled at him. “Looks like tonight you’re on my watch.”

“Then I’m sure to be perfectly safe.”

Xander rolled his eyes and groaned, leaving to check on Dawn.

“Hey, Magic Man. I got something to ask you.” Faith sat down and Ethan joined her. “Is it possible to mess with someone’s dreams?”

Ethan thought for a moment. “It is possible. Ripper and I tried our hands at it a bit back when… Well, you see, there were these twins and…” He chuckled, “Never mind.” Faith watched him expectantly. “Anyway, we eventually learned that, because everyone’s subconscious is different, it’s extremely difficult to create a dream that a mind will accept. It’s much easier just to plant a suggestion and let the subconscious have its own dream.”

“So, he could be messing with my head.”

“May I ask who you’ve been dreaming about, My Dear?”

“Nothing… no one…” Faith shook her head and stood abruptly. “I’m going to check the perimeter. You just sit tight.” Ethan stretched back against the couch cushions and chuckled knowingly.

 

***

Wesley’s flashlight beam barely cut through the darkness as he entered the large exhibition hall. He carefully made his way through the scaffolding and work areas until he came to the cavernous open space in the center of the building. Bright work lights suddenly burst to life and flooded the center of the room. When Wesley’s eyes adjusted, he could see the vampiric Watcher leaning against a stack of wood, but no one else.

They stood there, staring at each other for several long moments before Magister finally spoke. “Shall I tell you I’m impressed? Or would you take that as an insult? In any case, I am pleased that you’ve been able to keep our appointment.”

He approached Wesley with easy strides. The younger Watcher fought to control his voice as the vampire slowly circled him, looking him up and down. “I’m sure you’ve read the same prophecy I have. Frankly, I find it surprising that you were willing to show up and risk it coming true.”

“How could I resist this kind of meeting? This kind of offer? However, there was always one thing that bothered me about prophecy.” He leaned in close to whisper in Wesley’s ear. “You’re never sure exactly who wrote it.”

All the air left Wesley’s lungs and his shoulders slumped as the realization washed over him. “You planted it for me to find,” he breathed. “This is only a trap for me. No hope for Giles.”

“I am sorry,” Magister gave him a mocking frown. “But I do applaud your heroic effort. And the skill it took to get here. You might just be worthy after all.”

Wesley straightened his back. “If you’re going to kill me, I only request that you make it permanent.”

“I wonder,” Magister chuckled, stepping in close behind the other man, “how much of yourself were you willing to give me? How much would you offer up to save him?”

“I came to give my blood,” Wesley answered evenly. “How much more than my life can I offer?”

“Oh, there is so much more, Boy. Shall I show you?” Magister swept him forward into the darkness, stopping only when he had the younger man pressed face first against a wall.

Wesley couldn’t help the rush of fear that rolled through him. He shivered as large hands touched him in places he rarely even touched himself. “I know what happened to you when you were young,” he grunted as he was pushed into the wall again. “Have you stooped so low yourself now?”

Magister chuckled and kissed his neck. “You are right. We must remember ourselves.” Wesley released a breath of relief, but choked on it as a strong hand cupped his groin. “Shall we see how long it takes before your will is mine?”

The younger man swallowed hard. “I’m afraid you’re better equipped than I for an eternal battle of patience.”

“And still you impress me,” the vampire laughed. “You have become one to be savored.” He took his weight off the other man and let him turn around. “I believe my other appointment has arrived. I think you’ll find this very interesting, but suggest you keep yourself hidden for the time being.” It wasn’t until the vampire had turned and left him that Wesley let himself slump against the wall.

“My lovely dark boy,” Drusilla greeted Magister as she entered the light. “I brought some dollies for you to play with.” Stepping into his arms, she growled and snapped playfully. “You’ve started the games without me. No fair.”

“Only a bit of warm-up,” he rumbled.

Behind Drusilla, Lindsey and Lilah entered the lighted area, along with a group of eight armed men. Magister quickly assessed that each had a sidearm, stake, and flare at his belt, plus a miniature crossbow in his hands. 

Lindsey stepped forward and offered his hand. When it wasn’t taken, he cleared his throat and began, “I’m sure Dru has told you we represent Wolfram and Hart. It is our hope to offer you--”

“You put your hand out in friendship, yet you come here highly armed. Why should I think you offer me anything but death?”

“It’s only fair,” Lilah countered confidently. “We can’t very well ask you and your men to lay down your weapons. Our weapons merely make the field even.”

Magister smiled at her. “Have you seen any besides me?”

“No,” she smiled back, “but that doesn’t mean they’re not here.”

“A wise assumption.” He gave a slight nod of his head and vampires entered the light from every direction. The lawyers were surrounded.

“As I was saying,” Lindsey was almost able to control the nervous tremor in his voice. “We’ve noticed your efforts and are very impressed. The firm is always looking for partners that will bring new ideas and resources to the table. But, before we ask anything from you, we would like to put our considerable resources at your disposal. We’ve noticed from your actions that we have a common enemy. Perhaps we can help you take care of your little Angel problem.”

Magister started to laugh uncontrollably. “Is that the best you can do? Come and offer to help me swat a fly? I know all about your lawyers and senior partners. Sitting up there on their asses for hundreds of years, waiting for things to fall their way. I am no longer a slave of destiny. Now I make my own.”

“And we just want to help you along,” Lilah said calmly. “Be there when you need a little something extra to make things happen.”

“So far, I’ve been in need of nothing.”

“True,” the pretty lawyer eyed him slyly, “but we both know you have much bigger plans in store.” She again earned a smile from the vampire.

“Perhaps, when the time comes--” he began.

All of the humans started with fright when a high-pitched scream echoed through the building. Magister didn’t blink as he moved to catch the tiny vampire. The next moment, all he could do was watch her clear blue eyes fade as she turned to dust in his arms. His roar of pain was such that very few had heard before. He cried out in anger and sorrow. “Robyn…! Kill them!” he bellowed, his demon bursting forth from its hiding place.

Lilah grabbed the trigger happy agent beside her, her own eyes burning with anger. She physically threw him into the clutches of the mad vampire and ducked into the melee.

Before the agent could utter a sound, Magister’s hand was wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground. His free hand caught the arm that brought the stake out. He squeezed, grinding every bone in his victim’s wrist to powder and forcing him to drop the stake. The agent’s eyes pleaded sorrow, pleaded for mercy, but the fury that burned in the vampire was impenetrable.

“She was my heart,” he raged, “and you took her from me! Shall I show you how that feels?”

He punched in under the agent’s ribcage, forcing his hand deeper into his prey’s body. When he pulled out, he brought the man’s still-beating heart up and showed it to him. As he sank his fangs into it, ripping a mouthful out, the agent’s eyes rolled back in his head, his life slipping from his body.

The vampire roared, angry that the target of his rage had died too quickly, too easily, and threw the body aside like a rag doll. He rushed forward into the few humans still standing, ripping and tearing at flesh. His men had little trouble with the trained and well-armed agents, leaving very few for him to take his wrath out on. He surveyed the bodies at his feet and howled in frustration.

“Where are the lawyers?”

Before anyone could answer, he rushed toward the doors, Justin hot on his heels. They reached the outside just in time to see a limousine squeal off. Magister lunged forward to follow, but Justin caught him around the chest, bracing with his whole body to stop his sire’s progress.

“Sir, the sunrise. There’s not enough time to catch them without the risk of getting trapped outside.”

“I will have them both. I will make them eat each other’s hearts while we take turns fucking everyone they’ve ever loved to death in front of them. I will have their children for breakfast and their grandparents for dinner.”

“Tomorrow,” Justin said calmly. “Robyn belonged to us all. And tomorrow we will leave Wolfram and Hart in rubble for her.”

“What was she doing here anyway? How could you bring her into danger?”

“Forgive me. No one knew she came. She must have hidden in one of the vehicles the other team brought.”

Frustrated, Magister wheeled and stormed back into the building, his anger still unsatisfied. “Bring me the boy,” his call echoed.

Wesley had been moving deeper into the darkness during the fight. He had just laid his hand on what felt like a door, when he was grabbed from behind. Two vampires dragged him out into the exhibit hall. They lifted him and laid him out on a pallet of two-by-fours, like an offering on some kind of crude altar.

“Prepare him,” Justin growled quietly.

More vampires descended on him. His limbs where bound with rough cord, tying him, spread-eagle, to the wood. The harsh hands grabbed at his clothing, tearing every stitch of fabric, along with his hidden weapons, from his body. His breath came in rapid gasps and his heart threatened to pound through his chest as he lay there, naked and waiting.

“Leave us,” Magister rumbled the order. “The sun will be coming. Take everyone home.”

“But, Sir, you can’t remain here.”

“I won’t be long,” his sire promised. “I only want to leave a message.” Justin nodded and waved the others out.

Wesley tried to bring his trembling body under control as he watched the one remaining vampire lean against his wooden prison, back to him and head bowed. The cords bit into his wrists and ankles as he struggled for freedom. He froze, startled when his once-colleague began to murmur.

“Do you believe vampires can feel love? That we can feel pain?”

Wesley cleared his throat. “I…uh… I’ve seen too much to discount the power of a vampire’s emotion. I’ve seen one act out of love and loyalty. Watched him do the right thing when most would walk away.”

“Yes,” Magister barked a sad laugh, “our friend Angel, cursed with a soul.” The vampire turned his glowing, yellow eyes on his prisoner and ran cool fingers along the faint, pink scars on the young man’s chest. “We have much in common. I know Faith gave you these. Have you forgiven her?” Wesley’s only answer was a noncommittal grunt. “Should I tell you what was left of me when the hero, Angel, was freed from his soul? Shall I show you the signs of his work I still carry? Has he ever told you?”

Wesley shuddered under the light, caressing touch. Nothing in the vampire’s manner was meant to cause physical pain, but the memories of the night Faith had tortured him were flooding back, wracking his body with the anticipated effects of fear and pain. 

“Angel doesn’t talk about what happened. It wasn’t him, but I know he still blames himself. You’re different. You were a good man. One of the best I’ve ever had the privilege to know. Some of that must still be in you, telling you all of this is wrong.”

Magister began to chuckle and moved so that shadows no longer hid the blood still dripping from his face. “The good man I once was… You’ve had a rare view of what I’ve become, Boy. You were there the night they took my soul. You were here to witness the death of my heart. I wonder… how much more will I be expected to endure?”

“Giles, we can help you.”

“No,” the vampire sighed sadly as a razor sharp fingernail began to carve deep furrows in the younger Watcher’s chest. “There is no helping Giles, and there is no helping me. The time for games is over now, Wesley.” The young man clenched his jaw in pain as more blood was drawn from him in intricate patterns spanning the length of his torso. “I will bend this world to my will. From now on, pain will be something I inflict instead of endure. The writers of destiny can go fuck themselves because I am no longer a pawn of their twisted meddling. This is my world now.”

With the last cut made, he spoke an incantation. Fire traced along the bloody tracks in Wesley’s flesh, searing the tissue, but not consuming it. His screams of torment echoed throughout the building. 

“Get away from him!” Angel flew at Magister.

The vampiric Watcher stepped back, surrendering his screaming and writhing prey with an easy smile. “Time is short, Hero. Do you come after me, or help your suffering friend? Sadly, I was expecting to have more time with you tonight. Traffic getting here?”

Angel glanced over to make sure Buffy was cutting Wesley loose. As the torture victim’s bonds were released, she had to physically restrain him. He was delirious with the pain, lashing out at whatever he could reach. By the time Angel’s eyes went back to his foe, there was nothing there.

The familiar voice of a friend echoed from the darkness. “Our time will come, Angel. When we finally meet, the clash will be worthy of titans. Oh, and don’t worry, Buffy, I haven’t forgotten about you, Love.”

Angel stripped off his coat and wrapped it around a still thrashing Wesley. He noticed Buffy glaring into the darkness. “Let him go,” he murmured. “Wes needs our help now.”

Outside, Magister swung a leg over his bike, and threw an amused look at Justin, waiting patiently next to him.

“Was your message delivered, Sir?”

His sire chuckled as screams could still be heard in the distance, “I do believe it has been received. It’s time we were getting home, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, Sir,” Justin smiled.


	11. The Call of Darkness

**11.  The Call of Darkness**

 

“Well, that could have gone better,” Lilah sighed, watching out her window as other employees arrived for work and Lindsey paced in the office behind her.

“Gone better?  How could it have gone any worse?”  The young lawyer raked his hand through his hair.  “The deal was going to work.  We would have had him, but no, you had to bring armed guards.”

“You saw him.  There was no way he would have given us two seconds without a little show of strength.  It was working too, if it weren’t for that trigger-happy son of a…  And who ever heard of a vampire getting attached to a little, whatever the hell she was, anyway?”

“Well,” Lindsey barked a hysterical laugh, “he looked pretty damned attached to me.  And now we’re fucked.  You know that right?  That fuckin’ vamp’s not going to rest until he sucks the both of us dry.”

“Calm down,” Lilah chuckled.  “Isn’t that why we work for the evil firm with the unlimited resources?”

Her office door slammed open, admitting a very angry looking Holland Manners.  “You two,” he began in a voice that hid depths of danger under a calm surface.  “Do you have any idea what I could have found this morning, just lying there on my desk?  No,” he held up a hand, “don’t try to answer.  It was a note.  Well, I’d describe it more as a missive.  And can you even guess what it informed me of?”

“Sir, we can explain--” Lindsey tried.

“It was a declaration of war, well no, more a declaration of intent to bring this whole place down around us.  Citing a list of grievances with this firm and naming you two in particular.”

“They’re only vampires,” Lilah huffed.  “The firm will be able to--”

“Do you really think you can do anything without the Senior Partners knowing your every move?  I know who this vampire is.  And, to those above, he is worth more than the both of you combined.  Also, Lilah, personally I’m sick of losing good men to your incompetence.  You have today to weasel yourselves out of this, because come sunset, I will chain you both to the outside of this building and feed you to him myself!”

As their boss exited with a slam of the door, Lindsey sighed, “Yep, we’re fucked.”

“I don’t know about you, but I tend to only enjoy a good fucking when it’s on my terms.”  Lilah pulled a ledger from some hidden place in her desk.  She picked up the phone, dialed, and waited.  “Yes, hello.  Mr. Travers?  You don’t know who I am, but I have some information you might be interested in.”

 

***

“How’s he doing,” Angel whispered.

Buffy sighed, staring at the closed office door.  “Whatever that spell was ended a few hours ago.  He wouldn’t go to bed, just locked himself in there and won’t answer the door.  We got him to let Dawn in for a second to help check out and dress his wounds.  She said the fire cauterized everything, so there’s really nothing we can do to help him.”

“He’s stronger than you know, Buffy.  He’ll pull through.”  The phone rang once and fell silent.  “Wes must have gotten it.”

“We have to stop this, Angel.  Pretty soon he’s gonna get tired of toying with us and people will start dying.  For all we know Willow might already be…”

“She’s not,” Angel wrapped reassuring arms around her.  “If she was, she would have been with him.  Trust me.”

“Hey,” Faith approached quietly.  “Any sign from our human torch?”  Buffy glared at her and Faith shrugged her shoulders.  “You know me, B.  Always makin’ jokes so nobody will see how much I care.”

Dawn and Ethan were coming down the stairs, talking between themselves.  Dawn chuckled, “You’re telling me it was all because you were jealous.”

“A very powerful emotion, Dearest.  Watching Ripper and Deidire grow so close and so happy turned me into a manic.  They were both supposed to be mine”

“So you thought an orgy demon would be a good idea,” the girl smirked.

“First, when is anything involving an orgy not a good idea?  And second, I was a young, stupid boy.  I thought getting a good fuck was worth anything.  Something all stupid boys have in common and you should remember, Young Lady.”  Dawn raised an eyebrow at him.  “Okay, so now I’m old as dirt and I still think a good fuck is worth it.  I just know better ways of going about getting one now.”

“No more summoning demons, huh?”

Ethan sighed, “Eyghon cost me everything.  Everyone I ever thought I could really love disappeared when we all scattered.”

“So you turned to the power of chaos magick.  To keep anything from ever hurting you again.”  Ethan nodded at her assessment.  “Is there anything that can defeat chaos?”

The older man chuckled.  “There is a legend.  It’s said that chaos magick has no power against the pure love of an innocent.  However, in my life, I’ve never encountered such a thing.”

The office door slammed open, echoing through the lobby.  “Arrogant, bloody minded, good for nothing, worthless sons of bitches!”  The room was stunned into silence by the uncharacteristic outburst from the normally reserved Brit.  “That was a ‘courtesy call’ from the Council.  They wanted to warn us that they know about Giles and have his current location.  And that if any of us get between them and eliminating the threat, they will not hesitate in going through us.”

Buffy could see that, even in his anger, Wesley stood bent slightly forward, trying to avoid stretching the painfully tender flesh of his chest.  “They know his location.  How?”

“The Council has nearly unlimited resources.  However, after what I witnessed last night, I’m guessing Wolfram and Hart has decided they’ve missed their chance with him.”

“We’ve gotta get there first.  We gotta get him out before--”

“Why should we?” Wesley whispered coldly.

“Wes, come on.  That wasn’t Giles that did that to you.  We can’t let them…”

Wesley looked Buffy in the eyes for the fist time.  “I don’t blame Giles for any of this, Buffy.  As far as I’m concerned, he was the first victim of this unmitigated disaster.  And now, he won’t even get the hero’s burial he deserves.”

“Did they tell you where he was?”  Buffy asked, a little more subdued.

“And what if they did?” Faith interjected.  “I count four of us not on the injured list.  What’ll happen if we just walk up and try to storm his castle?”  Ethan raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

Buffy’s sigh was nearly a sob.  “He’ll slaughter us, I know.”

Angel took her back into his embrace.  “He’s too powerful now.  It might be time for us to accept the fact that Giles is gone.”

Wesley bent farther, wincing in pain.  “A lot of people are going to die today.  Many good men.  From what I saw last night, Slayer, your worry is highly misplaced.  He’s not among those likely to die.”

No one noticed Faith grab Ethan by the arm and head for the courtyard.  No one, except Dawn.

 

***

The teenager stood in the shadows, listening as Faith and Ethan whispered in the courtyard.  She stamped down a strange tinge of jealously that fluttered in her stomach as the older girl wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

Ethan suddenly stood.  “You’ve been around Ripper too much, Girly.  He was the one that enjoyed a good suicide mission, not me.”

“And here, with the way B’s been actin’, I thought you were the dangerous guy.”  Faith gave him a sly look.  “The one to keep my eye on.”

“It’s not that I’m opposed to a bit a danger, as long as I get the benefit while someone else takes the risk.”

“So you think it’s not gonna work?”

“On the contrary, I think it may well be the only chance the both of them have.  However, even if I was in the mood to risk my hide today, I can’t do anything with my hands tied.”  He shoved the wrist with the bracelet out.  “Do you know how to get this bloody thing off of me?”

“They didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”  Ethan snickered at the fact that she was upset she couldn’t prove them right.

“I know how,” Dawn stepped out of the shadows.  Both pairs of dark eyes stared at her.  “One of the good things about being invisible most the time…  I was there when Wes showed Buffy.”

“How long have you been there?” Faith asked.

“Long enough.”

“Listen, Chick, you know things are bad.  If you go tellin’ on us…”

Dawn smiled, “No one is gonna hear anything from me.  You two are going to bring them back to me.  That’s all I care about.”

“Wait a minute,” Ethan stepped back as the two girls came towards him.  “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

 

***

Faith looked up at the towering structure that had been prominently featured in her dreams since the demon version of one of the only men to ever earn her trust had extended his invitation.  She knew he was waiting inside for her.  But waiting to do what?  She had been pretty sure before, but with what little Wesley did say about the night before, everything could have changed.  Would he still be up to playing?

The dark Slayer stepped though the doors into the lobby.  In the shadows of the room, she could see vampires of all sorts lounging around, hiding from the sun.  They stirred as they began to notice her, and whispers of “Slayer” drifted around the room.  When they started to rise and surround her, Faith calmly flexed her neck to release her shoulder muscles and slid her hand to the stake hidden in her tight, leather pants.

“Stand down!” Justin yelled.  “She belongs to him.”

The vampires skulked away and Faith snorted, “I don’t belong to anybody.”

Justin eyed her with amusement, and the elevator doors slid open behind him.

“Beautiful Faith, I was beginning to think you were never going to grace me with your presence.”  Magister strode up to her and bowed.  “I apologize at not being here to welcome you, but you came unannounced.”

“Took me a while to sneak away from the wardens.  And it’s all five-by-five,” Faith smiled, “the welcome I got suits me just fine.”

He leaned in and took a hushed tone.  “I’m sure you would have handled the situation quite nicely.  Especially these newcomers who are, as yet, untested.”

“Hey, if you wanna test ‘em, I’m up for a little rough and tumble.”

A grin snuck along Magister’s lips.  “I was hoping you were.  But they don’t get to play,” he rumbled.  The girl looked him over from black boots, to turquoise shirt, to wayward curls, and smiled approvingly.  “How is the little family doing anyway?”

“You know,” the dark Slayer chuckled.  “Angel is in full brood mode.  Buffy’s at her whiny best.  The children are freaking.  And Wes, well, he had a rough night.”

“Yes, I do hope the poor boy recovers quickly.  It appears he has potential I’ve never noticed before.”

“Yeah, he can hold up.  I heard you had a bad night, too.”

“Nothing that won’t be paid for in blood, I assure you,” Magister rumbled.  “And a payment that will be all the sweeter to collect with my dark Slayer at my side.”

“Sounds like a blast.  Now,” Faith put her hands on her hips, “are we just about done with this little cat and mouse session?  When am I gonna get what I really came here for?”

The vampire growled at the blatant lust flashing in her dark eyes.  “Here we take what we want.”

“Suits me,” Faith ran and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.  “Do the children get to watch?” She grinned, nose to nose with him.

He turned, easily carrying her into the elevator.  “Some parts of their education I don’t take responsibility for.”  As the doors closed, Faith noticed that the others in the room were starting to do just fine on their own.

Magister crashed into his rooms with Faith kissing him fiercely.  On his bed, the three harpies were warming up for him.

“Hey,” Harmony whined, “who invited a Slayer.”

“Yum, yum,” Drusilla stood and swayed.  “Slayer blood always makes it the best party.”

“Out!” Magister thundered around Faith’s mouth.

“But,” Harmony pouted.

“She’s mine.  Get out.”  The danger in his voice sent the other vampires scurrying.

Faith laughed into his neck.  “I think they’re disappointed.”

“I don’t care what they are,” he growled, shoving her hard into a wall.  “I’ve waited too long for you, Faith.  Do you know how long I’ve wanted to fuck you, Girl?”

“Then stop talking about it and do it, Old Man.”  With a wicked gleam in her eye, Faith pulled back just enough to rip his shirt open, sending a spray of buttons bouncing around them.  She eagerly ran her hands over his cool skin, enjoying the tickle of his coarse chest hair on the palms of her hands.

Magister’s large hands ran up her sides, under her tight top, and removed the garment with easy efficiency.  Her bra barely survived, releasing an instant before being torn from her body.  In the very next instant, his lips were on her breasts, suckling, kissing, worshiping.

With a moan that demanded more, Faith pushed off the wall and they went crashing through a table.  Now straddling the vampire, she looked down at him with predatory eyes.   A teasing smile danced on her lips as she picked up a wooden sliver from the wreck of the table around them and twirled it between her fingers.

“Is that what you came here for?” Magister rumbled.  “Then strike fast and take me before I take you.”

Still playing with the stake in one hand, her other hand snaked down and began to massage his groin.  A deep groan shook through his entire body as she tormented his denim clad erection.  Her strong, practiced fingers popped his button and lowered his zipper, coming torturously close to freeing him, only to tease a bit more. Faith laughed, dropping the stake, when he bucked, throwing her off.  He stood, shucking his jeans quickly, and advanced on her with wild lust shining in his eyes.

The Slayer stayed out of his reach long enough to escape her own pants.  When he finally caught her, he pinned her against a sturdy, oak dresser.  He hid his face in her warm, sweet smelling flesh, kissing and licking along her neck and shoulder.  Faith’s small, powerful hands explored his body, roaming over his shoulders and down his broad, muscled back to cup the firm swell of his taut ass. 

“God, I knew I should have checked this out the first time I saw you standing in that library.”

“Oh, but Faith,” he chuckled, sinking to his knees in front of her, “that would not have been proper behavior.”  Before she even had time to smirk, he buried his face between her thighs and worked to show her just how talented his multi-lingual mouth was.

Faith clutched at the dresser behind her, trying to steady herself against the unrelenting assault of pleasure.  She gasped as his tongue tasted her thoroughly, and his lips and teeth played her most sensitive nerves like a beloved musical instrument.  With no need to breath, his endurance went far beyond her realm of experience.  Soon, her body was wracked with bolts of pleasure, exploding as he eagerly lapped up the fruits his labor.

He stood with a cocky grin, but Faith recovered much faster than he expected.  She slammed into him, throwing him bodily onto the bed and leapt up to straddle him once more.  The Slayer kept her eyes locked on his as she slid slowly onto him, making him growl in frustration and need for more.  His hands came up to knead her pert breasts, building a need in her that forced her to move faster atop him.  Bending up, he replaced a hand with his wet mouth, continuing the worship that was cut short earlier.

Faith felt a sharp tooth slide along the tender skin of her breast just as another orgasm shuddered through her.  “Naw ha,” she gasped.  “Faith’s rule number one, no biting unless you’re asked.”

Magister laughed, looking up at her with glowing, yellow eyes.  “I can’t remember the last time I had this view.  In this world I dominate.  You excite me, Faith.  But, I promise, no biting.”

“Good.  Now what was that about dominating?”

With no effort, he flipped them both and held himself above her.  Neither held back any longer as he pounded into her and she met him thrust for bruising thrust.  Faith bit her own lip, drawing blood and kissed him feverishly, sharing the last ingredient she knew he needed to reach the heights of his pleasure.  The vampire groaned into her bloody kiss, savoring the sweet offering as his body went ridged with release.  The Slayer felt her third take her and rode this last wave to its fullest. 

When he collapsed beside her, she didn’t mind snuggling into the arms of this lover.  Faith sighed contently.  “Now I know why B goes for you dead boys.  It’s nice to play with someone you don’t have to worry about breaking.”

 

***

Spike could almost hear Buffy pacing in irritation as his uncontrollable laughter poured out over the phone line.  He tried to steady himself enough to speak, but her added growls of frustration only intensified his mirth.

_“Why are you laughing?  I’m trying to tell you everything he’s been doing, and now more people are going to die and there’s nothing I can do about it.”_

“No, Pet, not exactly true there.  Angel has been telling me every move he’s made.  And the boy calls his little ex-demon here every day.  The rant you’ve just gone on had a very specific subject.”

_“What are you talking about, Spike?  Everything I just said was serious.”_

Spike laughed again.  “You really do have a fetish for the cold flesh, don’t you, Slayer?  First Angel, then me, and now that the old man’s joined the legion of the dead you suddenly notice he’s packin’ a pair.”

_“Spike, are you drunk?”_

“You don’t even realize it.  You’ve spent the last twenty minutes tellin’ me how he’s kidnapped Red to seduce her, he’s been ‘inappropriate’ with Dawn, he’s come on to Faith, he’s propositioned Cordy, and he’s even tried to have his wicked way with the junior-Watcher out there.  You’re jealous.  Oh yeah, and now he seems to be more interested in taking out Angel than hurting you.”

_“I’m not jealous.  Why the hell would I be jealous of any of that?  It’s just Giles, and not even Giles anymore…”_

“You’re jealous because he’s making it damn clear that you’re no longer the center of his world.  And that’s just eating you up.”

_“Spike, I called you to help me.  You’re supposed to be helping me and this isn’t the way.”_

“Sorry, Luv.  But you have to admit it’s good for a laugh.”

_“What?  Both of them?  You have to be kidding.”_

“Buffy?  Hey, what’s going on?”

_“Typical, when things get really bad, the weasels run for the hills.”_

“What?  Buffy, talk to me.”  The line went dead.  Spike rubbed a hand over his face and looked over at the blond making a sandwich at the other end of the counter.  “Looks like it’s about time we take a little road trip, Girl.”

Anya sighed.  “We’re all going to die, aren’t we?  Shouldn’t we be pointing the car in the other direction?”

Spike smirked, “Depends, just how much of your pitiful life do you feel like spendin’, runin’ and hidin’?”

“Well, I guess there are worse things than being killed by a friend.”  Anya closed her eyes and smiled as the one kiss she’d once shared with Giles fluttered through her mind.  “Come on, Fang Boy. Let’s go see if a couple of ex-demons can die for something worthwhile.”

 

***

Magister finished buttoning up his shirt, the new one emerald green, and sat carefully on the bed by the sleeping Slayer.  He softly ran his fingers along her contented features.

“My dark beauty,” he murmured.  “With you leading my armies, this world will learn who we are quickly.  My predecessor was a fool not to notice you.  The true power and beauty of the Slayer line.  I’ll not make the same mistake.”

Faith sighed in her sleep and turned her cheek into his caress.  With a small smile on his lips, the vampire rose and exited his rooms.

“So…” Harmony, along with a few of the more curious among his followers, was waiting in the hallway.  “Is the Slayer one of us now?  Did you do it?” 

Justin came down the hall and answered for him.  “Oh, the Slayer is one of us, but she will also be enjoying a long and prosperous life.”  His master smiled and gave an approving nod at his answer.

“So we’re not killing the Slayer?” Harmony huffed, confused.

“Not this one,” Justin continued.  “Faith is very special to our cause.  When The Master killed Buffy, Kendra was called to take her place.  Then our lovely Drusilla disposed of that Slayer, causing Faith to rise.  And Faith, she knows what it is to cross the line into darkness.  We will give her the family she craves, the stability she’s never known, and she will never turn from us because of it.  She will stand with us and, because the Slayer line rests with her, no new Slayer will be called against us as long as she lives.”

“You’ve been studying the journals,” Magister praised.  “Very well deduced.”

“I told you I’d figure out what you were thinking.”

Harmony nodded, “I get it.  So, what about Buffy?”

Justin chuckled.  “The old Slayer is an anomaly.  One who has no place in this world.  She has no power against us.  Her only purpose now is to be our master’s play thing.”

His sire laughed.  “Well put.  Her time is almost done.  I’ve grown tired of dealing with her.  Perhaps she’d be useful to capture for training purposes.”

“With how quickly our students are progressing, she wouldn’t last very long.”

“I agree, but she might last just long enough.”

Drusilla swayed down the hall as Justin turned to receive a whispered message.  “Our dark boy wants the Slayer to suffer.  Suffer, Slayer, suffer.  We can bring her to him.  Play with her like kitty plays with Mr. Grasshopper.  Pull her apart and feed him her blood.”

He smiled at her offer.  “I have tasted Faith, Dear One.  I will soon drink from the power that Willow holds.  After that, how can Buffy taste anything but bitter to me?”

“Does that mean we can have her,” Harmony squealed.

“If Slayer blood is what you crave, it is what you shall have.”

“Sir, excuse me,” Justin broke in.  “The Chief and his boys have picked up communications on the frequencies you told them to monitor.  Sounds like we can expect visitors.  Just like you said.”

“The lawyers,” Magister stated.  “Looks like they’re turning to the old adage of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  They’re hoping the Council can take us out before we have a chance to settle our grievance from last night.  How long?”

“From the chatter, the Chief estimates ten, maybe fifteen, minutes.”

His master let soft laughter build deep in his chest.

“May I ask what’s funny, Sir?”  There was a hint of nervousness on the faces of the young vampires around them.  Justin could sense they needed reassurance.

“Forgive me,” his sire showed them a wicked grin.  “The Council usually likes to hide its dirty business.  The fact that they are willing to attack us in broad daylight tells me one thing…  They are scared of us.  They think they need every advantage.”

His followers mirrored his wicked grin, finding strength and encouragement in their leader’s words and his faith.

“Wake everyone,” Magister ordered.  “Position teams at all the entrances.  Concentrate on the roof.  That’s where they’ll think we’d be vulnerable with the sun up.  Tell our men to keep to the shadows as much as possible.  I’ll join the roof team in a bit.”

“Very good, Sir.  You know they’ll be excited to fight along side you.”

“As I am to stand with them.”  He smiled as the group around them scattered to fulfill his orders.  He placed a hand on Justin’s shoulder.  “Get the troops in place.  I’ll join you shortly.”

As his protégé departed, the vampiric watcher leveled his gaze on the guards at Willow’s door.  “She will be safe,” one answered without a hint of doubt.  “We will defend her with our lives.  We’ll watch over both of them for you.”

 

***

Magister stood in front of his gathered soldiers, framed by the shadowed doorway to the roof.  He could hear the helicopters approaching long before he could see them, and he could see them cutting through the smog of the Los Angeles skyline while they were still miles away.  A transport and a gunship.  No doubt holding at least one elite assassination squad.  The dead Watcher smirked.  Only the Council could fly such crafts through a city’s airspace in broad daylight with such impunity.

Behind him, his men buzzed with excitement.  He had shown them time and again what he was capable of.  Now it was their turn to show him what they had learned.  What they had trained for to earn the right to stand beside him. To make him proud.  At that moment they were invincible, it didn’t matter who attacked.

He waited, holding his men back as he watched the transport approach his home and hover over it.  Heavily armed men clad in dark military gear began to rappel from the aircraft. More than the average observer would think possible.  Still, he held his troops.  Finally, the invaders scurried into formation, obviously expecting an easy sweep of sleeping vampires, and the helicopter retreated.

The instant before he was first spotted, Magister shouted an incantation, raising specially built sunshields lining the rooftop.  His soldiers rushed out around him, flooding the shaded roof and taking the Council force by surprise.

He waded into the melee, savoring the screams of death around him.  Gunfire attempted to slow the vampire hoard down, but these were his handpicked warriors.  The sting of bullet wounds only excited them, as it did him.

A lead projectile tore though his side and he looked up into the frightened eyes of the boy who fired it.  “So young.  They have stolen your life from you long before they sent you to face me.  Did they forget to tell you your destiny was one of pain and death?”  He easily stripped the boy’s weapons from him and pulled him close by the front of the battle vest.  “Trust me boy,” he managed to whisper and still be heard over the sounds of the clash, “I extend you a mercy by freeing you from your burdens so soon.”  With care that he had never before paid an enemy, Magister sank his fangs into the boy’s neck and gave him the kindness of a quick death.

“Remember,” he howled, dropping the body, “these are Watchers!  They would prefer death to being as we are!  Let’s afford them the same courtesy they would any of us!”

His men cheered as he joined them in battle, delighting in the ripping of flesh and breaking of bones.  No magick, no weapons, just fangs and claws, as a vampire was meant to destroy.

Magister roared in anger as the vampire next to him went up in flames.  Then another, and another…  The fifty caliber rounds from the machinegun mounted on the assault craft tore through the sunshield at one end of the roof and into the combatants.  Incendiary rounds.  Fired indiscriminately.  The Council cowards!

With both men and vampires dropping around him, Magister sprinted for the sunlight.  He leapt from the edge of the roof and into the open door of the helicopter, pouncing on the gunner, who had been firing at him the entire way.

“You fire at your own men as well as mine!?!”  The gunner could only choke on his own cries of terror as he stared into the bloody, demon face only centimeters from his own.  His attacker could read his excuse in his eyes.  “Some orders should never be taken!”  The beast tore into his chest in a rage.

The pilot grabbed for his sidearm and tried to swing it back but, before he had a chance to aim, his head was separated from his body.  Spinning out of control, the helicopter began to plummet.  Magister jumped, the slicing blades clipping his cheek and leg as he made his escape.  He landed with a rough roll in a sunny, garden terrace.

Even with the firefight and the cries of battle still raging; with the falling iron of the gunship and twisting machinery scraping along the stone of the building, he could hear it, feel it.  Panic.  A scream.

Willow!


	12. Master of the House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Rape.

12\. Master of the House

 

Panic began to grip Willow’s chest as the sounds of battle continued. The gunfire seemed to ring out from every direction, the roof above her and the floors below her. She started to cautiously move to the doors of her suite, but froze when they violently burst open. The dust of her two vampire guards still hung in the air around a thin man with a pinched and twisted face wearing dark military gear.

The witch almost sighed in relief at the sight of an apparent rescuer. The sigh caught in her throat as the man’s eyes focused on the urn and he raised his pistol in its direction.

Willow cried out, running to a position between the stranger and the precious soul. “No! If you break the vessel, he’ll be lost in the ether and my spell won’t work.”

His chilling, pale eyes drilled into her as he spoke into a radio at his shoulder. “Secondary target in sight. Will eliminate the witch.” A cruel smile twisted his thin lips. “Sorry, Doll. Truth is, Rupert should have brought you to the Council to be dealt with in the first place. Now look what you’ve done to him. I always told ‘em the man was too soft to be a real Watcher.”

Willow’s dark green eyes went wide as she watched him raise his gun to her chest in slow motion. He was squeezing the trigger when the double doors to her terrace shattered and a large, dark figure, still smoking from the sunlight, swept into the room. He raced across and lunged in front of her just in time to take the four bullets meant for her in his broad chest. The girl released a cry of terror and relief as her knees buckled behind her rescuer.

“Still protecting your little witch, even in death, ay Rupert?” the stranger chuckled.

“I should have known they’d send you, Duncan,” the vampire growled. “The Council’s best assassin. And with a,” he glanced toward the ceiling, “thirty man squad?”

“Forty, actually.”

“All for little me. I’m flattered. And I should thank you. It’s not often my men have a feast like this delivered.”

There were still a few shots to be heard, but most of the noises of battle had died away.

Duncan smiled. “Acceptable losses. And, even if I fail, the Council will send others for you. You’ve become more than your usual nuisance, Rupert. You’re a liability, and will be handled accordingly.”

“I know. That is why, soon, I will be ready to pay the Council a visit and rectify this small… conflict they seem to have with me.”

“You will be dust, Rupert. And your Slayer will be brought back into line. And your little witch--”

“She’s mine!” the vampire roared with anger. Then calmer, “They all are.”

Willow began to scoot back towards the wall. ‘Didn’t they ever teach you Council guys not to taunt the big, angry vampire,’ she thought.

There was something cold, heartless, and perhaps even envious in Duncan’s eyes as she watched him stare unflinchingly at his old friend. “They always matched us in school, Ol’ Boy,” the assassin grinned. “Shall we see if our skills have improved since then?”

“Stakes versus fangs?” Magister asked cordially.

“I’d say we owed that much to each other, for old time’s sake,” Duncan purred, then instantly launched his attack.

Willow held her breath as she watched the battle unfold, not knowing which monster she’d be better off rooting for. They were a blur of strikes and kicks. Duncan’s precise and accurate, as his training dictated. But the vampire fought in a way she’d never seen from the body in front of her before. There had been many times she stood by him as he fought for duty, or necessity, or even to protect her. But, as she kept reminding herself, this was not that man. He was fangs and claws, relishing the battle, reveling in every ounce of pain he inflicted, every drop of blood he extracted. Her eyes drifted to the golden glow as it gave a faint pulse, and filled with tears. Her Giles seemed so very unreachable.

With a loud crack, the battle ended as fast as it had begun. Magister held Duncan up before him with an evil grin, showing his deadly weapons. He had broken the man’s back, but in such a way as to paralyze him without killing him. The assassin now dangled helplessly in the vampire’s grip. For the first time, his pale eyes burned with nothing but fear.

“I know what you fear,” the vampire said in a soothing voice. “You may die at ease, Old Friend. I see no place for you in the world we shall create. Rest, knowing you have sacrificed for your cause.” Duncan swallowed hard, trying to use his impotent voice as the fangs slowly approached his neck. “And your blood will nourish me and heal the wounds you have given me.”

Willow was transfixed in horror as he fervently tore into his victim’s throat and drank freely and with rapture, once and for all showing her his true nature. No more pretense of humanity, no more illusion of civility. He was now nothing but a monster.

She scampered to her feet as he dropped the limp corpse to the floor and turned his glowing, yellow eyes on her. A shiver ran through her, seeing him slowly turn his body to face her and begin to pace forward, a stalking predator. Willow tried to throw up a protection barrier but, with his simple touch, it exploded into magical shards.

Magister lifted his hands and gestured them apart. With the action, the simple, white dress Willow wore was ripped in two and flew from her body. “It’s time, Willow. I’m tired of waiting for you.”

“But…” Willow tried feebly to cover her nakedness and pressed back against the wall, wanting to hide in it. “I thought you wanted me to ask for this. I thought you wanted me to beg for you. I’m supposed to burn for you.”

“The time for games has ended.” He tore the remnants of his shirt from his torso. Willow could see strings of purple energy jumping across the many fresh wounds on his chest, including the four bullet holes that saved her life, creating magical sutures to aid in his healing. “You will be my dark queen. Together, nothing this world has to offer will stand against us.”

“So, what if I don’t give myself freely?” she yelled, trying to disguise her fear with anger. “Now you’re gonna just rape me and murder me? Or are you planning on doing it the other way around? Funny way to treat someone you’ve been pretending to love.”

He reached out, cupping the back of her skull and tangling his fingers through her hair to tilt her face up to his. His cold, blazing yellow stare burned into her. “Why does one have to follow the other?” he asked with a toothy grin, then took her mouth in a demanding kiss.

Willow let a small squeak escape when he finally pulled back. “Fine then,” she forced a more powerful voice than she felt. “A last request for your queen in human form?”

“Command me,” he rumbled as his cool hand hovered over her quivering, vulnerable flesh. 

“If the beast is going have its way and kill me, let me have the man first. Give me the face I could love.” Willow knew that he would have to clam himself to affect the change back into his human façade. Perhaps it would be enough to save her. At least, buy her some extra moments.

“As you wish, My Goddess,” his tone smoothed. The demon ridges receded into the kind, soft features of her Giles. Harsh yellow eyes melted into soothing green. And Willow began to weep.

She had thought it would be easier this way, more tolerable. But, the fact was, it only made things worse. Staring into that face that had always offered comfort as his hips ground rough against her and she could feel his hard cock straining for a chance at her. Looking into those beautiful green eyes and seeing nothing that should be there. No warmth, no tenderness, no compassion, no… soul. Tears fell down her cheeks as she stroked her fingertips along his face, still stained with the blood of his victims.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to him. “I’m sorry I let this happen to you. Sorry I helped turn you into this.”

The demon suddenly frowned. “You won’t be for long,” he growled angrily. There was the sound of a zipper and then he was inside her.

Willow choked on a scream and clung to his shoulders as he lifted her off the floor. It had been years since any man, and she wasn’t ready for him. Wasn’t ready for his forced presence in her state of sorrow instead of arousal. And wasn’t ready for his size, which felt as if he stretched her to her limits. 

“I didn’t want it to be this way, Willow,” he hissed in her ear. “I wanted to make love to you as he would have. You were to mourn the loss of him with every gasp until your last.”

He thrust wildly into her, caring only for his own pleasure, and she watched through blurred eyes over his shoulder as the soul of Rupert Giles seemed to pulse rapidly with anger. ‘I still love you,’ she mouthed to the faceless urn.

Soon another pain joined the assault on her body. The pain of fangs piercing the thin skin of her neck. Her head rolled back at the feeling of her blood slowly, even lovingly, being drained from her body. A whisper of “Giles” fell from her lips.

“I’m surprised at you, Ripper,” a new voice drifted across the room. “You never had problems with a girl’s willingness before.”

Willow slumped and slid down the wall when the vampire suddenly released her and spun around. “Ethan,” he rumbled.

“What a lovely greeting,” Ethan smiled, with a glance at the erect cock that was now pointing at him. “If only that was for me… And, of course, you were still my Ripper.”

The vampire chuckled. “So they’ve sent Ethan Rayne to bring me under control. But who? Not the Council, they were never that clever. Perhaps the little family I left behind. Did you trick them into thinking you were ever the stronger between us? Or, have you come on your own to fulfill your oath to him?”

“A little of both,” Ethan sighed, stepping over the body of the demon’s latest felled opponent. “However, I have no illusions that my power might match yours now. Or that these are not perhaps my last minutes in this world. But I must try, you understand. For Rupert.”

Yellow eyes flashed and glanced at the urn. “Sorry old fool. If only they had loved you like this when you were alive.”

Ethan took that moment to make his first move. A ball of blue energy grew in his hand and was thrown at the beast. It was easily deflected with a slight wave, leaving a charred spot when it exploded in the corner. The vampire countered by creating a column of fire to engulf the man. Ethan managed to conjure a curtain of ice crystals to stifle the blaze while only suffering a few scorch marks. The containment spell the sorcerer tried next never made it past his lips as he was hit with a burst of purple lightning.

Before Ethan could focus his power for the next attack, he was being flung bodily around the room, smashing headlong into walls and ceiling and floor before crashing into Willow’s bed with enough force to collapse its support posts. In a blink of an eye the vampiric wizard was on him, pinning him down with the full weight of his body.

The chaos mage coughed, spitting blood, and chuckled as a forearm pressed into his windpipe. “You once told me I’d get you into bed over your dead body, Ripper. Guess you were right.”

The cruel, demon face grinned down at him. “You’ve always fancied this body, haven’t you, Ethan?” he rumbled. His broad tongue appeared and licked blood from the corner of the sorcerer’s mouth. “How ‘bout I use it to fuck you to death?”

As he tried to distract his attacker, the chaos mage stretched his hand out towards Willow and turned as much of his concentration on her as possible. “I’ve gotten that offer before,” he chuckled. “You’ll find I’m a bit resilient. Besides, the body wasn’t all I wanted. The man I wanted is dead now.” A quick jab to his torso and Ethan grunted as he heard a rib snap. 

“You don’t think I can sense what you’re doing? Trying to feed her your magick in the hope that together you can do what, destroy me?” Another jab and another broken rib. “Shall we see if you can give her enough before I take you apart piece by piece?”

“You always had the mathematical mind,” Ethan groaned through the pain. “I’m sure you’ve already calculated just how long you can drag out my demise before she becomes a threat to you.”

“I’ve tasted her blood, Ethan. All she has left to do is drink from me and we’ll be together for all eternity. She can’t help you now.”

Ethan was quickly becoming weaker as his power continued to flow to a now stirring Willow. “That’s what hurts the most, Ol’ Mate,” he panted as breathing became more difficult. “You want her by your side, but I’m not even worth taking a bite out of to join your little army here.”

“You are chaos, Ethan. Unpredictable and uncontrollable. I will bring order. This world will no longer be for you.”

“Sounds rather boring…” Ethan weakly coughed more blood.

Willow could feel the new magick surging through her. It was more than her natural power alone, and it was different than the darkness she feared would envelope her again. This was new. It felt like it came from everywhere and nowhere at once. It surrounded her and emerged from within her. It awaited her orders and defied her will. The power in her eyes was all colors and it danced on her hands with all textures. This was Ethan’s magick. This was chaos.

Bathed in new strength, she was lifted as much as rose to her feet. Suddenly, she knew exactly what to do. Every counter spell, every disabling chant danced in her mind. Willow heard another pop and whimper come from the bed, but her path was clear now. Ethan had given up his only defenses to give her a chance at saving Giles. The faster she worked now, the more hope there was of saving both men.

With a short chant the fist ward snapped loose. A brush of the fingers and the second shattered. One by one, every barrier blocking her fell in the wake of the combined magicks. At last, she had her hands, and her magicks, on the sacred urn.

The vampire sensed his danger and left his torture victim to come for her. Willow’s ever changing, multi-colored eyes flicked toward him and he was frozen in place. Her spell poured forth from her lips, pleading to all that is higher for the return of the soul to its proper vessel.

With a howl of pain and frustration the demon cried out. “No! Get out! It’s mine now!”

But it was no match. With a rush of golden light, Giles’ soul drove back into his body. Falling to his knees, his scream was nothing like the monster’s had been. It was agony, and sorrow, and guilt, and hatred. The invisible bonds holding him released as Willow collapsed to the floor in front of him. He crawled to her, gathering her limp, naked form into his trembling arms.

In the hallway beyond the door, the flailing body of a vampire flew past. Faith appeared in the room. She took one look into Giles’ tear-filled eyes and smiled.

“Good to have you back, G.” With her stake, she back-handed and dispatched a rushing enemy. “Hope you guys have enough left to handle an exit plan. That little Council distraction has run its course and the natives are getting restless.”

Ethan slowly limped to where Giles held Willow. He had his arms wrapped around his torso, as if trying to hold his chest together. “You have to do it, Ripper,” he knelt beside his old friend. “You’re the only one with enough strength left to teleport us all out of here.”

Faith ran to the small group and positioned herself in front of them, taking a fighting stance as Magister’s army began to flood into the room. A bright flash of white light blinded the onslaught and the four were gone.

“They took him,” Justin growled. “Gather everyone!” he ordered loudly. “Before tomorrow’s dawn the Slayers and their people will be dead, and we will have our master back.”

 

***

Buffy, Angel, and Wesley jumped into defensive stances as the lobby flashed bright and four people appeared in the center of the room. When their visions cleared enough to see who the intruders were, their guards never wavered.

“Whoa, whoa,” Faith waved her arms and sidestepped between Buffy’s aimed crossbow and Giles. “Stand down troops. We’ve got a member of the soul society here.”

Giles took no notice of anything going on around him, his only focus on the pale form lying limp in his arms. He whispered as his trembling fingers caressed her still face, “Please… Willow, open your eyes, Love. Please look at me. You have to be all right. Don’t leave me now. Open your eyes, Willow. Look at me.”

An audible whimper escaped from his throat as her eyelids fluttered.

“Look at me, Willow,” his voice grew stronger, more demanding. “You’re stronger than this. You’re the most powerful woman I know. Fight, Love! Come back to me.”

Giles barely registered Ethan’s movement to the other side of the girl’s naked form as he helped to support her. “The overload of magicks is slowly draining from her. Give it a minute, Ol’ Man.” His long fingers brushed the hair from her damp brow. “Do you remember how much you took?”

Ethan cringed at the tear his question drew from his old friend. “It,” Giles paused to control a sob. “It shouldn’t have been enough. You got there in time. You stopped me…” His head dropped and the tears came unbidden.

The sorcerer reached over her to place a hand on the vampire’s slumped shoulder. “I stopped him. You would have never done this. Not even in your worst days. And I’m the only one here who can say that with authority.”

“Giles?” Willow’s weak, catching voice drifted up to them.

“Yes,” he almost cried. “I’m here, Willow.”

She stared into his face with unfocused eyes. “Did we do it? Did we beat him?”

“Yes, Little One. You did it. You rescued me.”

Dawn was suddenly with them, handing Ethan a blanket, which he tenderly wrapped around the witch.

“Good,” Willow whispered with a grin. “I have to rest now. But don’t you go anywhere. ‘Cause, when I feel better, I’m still gonna kick your butt.”

Willow’s eyes drifted closed again and Giles squeezed her tighter to him. “No. Stay awake. Get up now and you can kick my bloody arse from here to London!”

“Love to,” she smiled, eyes staying closed. “Can’t. See you soon…”

He leaned down to place a feather light kiss on her ear. “I do,” he breathed. “You were right. About him, and about me. I do.” Her smile grew into a grin, but she made no other movements.

Ethan whispered to him as he continued to rock her. “Her pulse is strong, Rupert. She’ll be all right. She just needs some rest.”

Xander approached to take her from him, with Wesley’s help. Giles reluctantly let her slip from his arms with a mumbled plea of, “Take care of her.”

“We will,” the ex-Watcher assured him.

Xander crouched down enough to look him in the eyes. “You know I would never hurt Willow,” the young man said with colder, harder eyes than his old mentor had ever seen from him.

Giles felt as if he had been hit square in the stomach. As they carried Willow away, he wished the boy had hit him. He deserved it.

Dawn handed him a shirt while averting her eyes, and he suddenly remembered he was also in quite a state of undress. Giles quickly tucked himself in and did up his jeans. He pulled on the provided shirt while Dawn helped Ethan to a nearby couch.

“What did you do to her?” Buffy roared up to him. He knew she hadn’t missed the bite mark on Willow’s neck or both their sad states upon arrival. “How could you? How could you hurt her like that?” His Slayer did not hold back from giving him what he craved. The world spun around him when her fist connected with his jaw. Giles stood, without defense and waiting for another, but Faith stepped in and caught the swinging arm.

“What’s wrong with you?” the dark Slayer shouted. “You can’t blame him for what happened. You know that better than anyone.” She gestured at Angel. “If you can forgive your boyfriend everything that happened when you took his soul, but not Big G here, there’s something seriously wrong with you!”

Knowing the other Slayer was right, Buffy turned her anger on Faith. “And what did you think you were doing? You and Ethan going off by yourselves and not letting anyone know what you were doing. What if we needed you? What if something went wrong? Did you even have a plan?”

“It was a two man job. Sorry, B.” Faith grinned, showing she was not intimidated. “You said yourself that in a full on attack he would have slaughtered us. This was a purely black ops, need to know thing. I had an invitation and I could sneak the magic man in. The Council attack gave us the perfect cover, so we had to move fast. And, fact is, someone else did know, in case things went bad.” Faith glanced over at the girl tending to the sorcerer on the couch.

Ethan smiled up at Dawn as she gently dabbed blood from a cut at his hairline. He shifted to get more comfortable and winced at the movement.

“Lie still,” the girl scolded, her lithe hands moving to unbutton his shirt.

“Your wish, My Sweet,” he grinned, thoroughly enjoying the attention. A beautiful blush tinged her cheeks under his appreciative gaze. “Does the returning hero get a reward?”

Dawn separated the material of his shirt and discovered his entire torso had already turned three shades of purple. She gasped. “Returning hero? You look like you got hit by a freight train.”

“Don’t worry. It only feels like I got hit by a lorry.” He chuckled as she tried to decipher in her head. “You might call one a Mack truck.”

“Oh,” Dawn graced him with a smile. “As long as it doesn’t hurt too bad.”

Ethan laughed harder, but choked as his body disapproved. “Messing with Ripper is one thing. But I’ll have to remember not to try my luck too often with the super charged version.” He sighed contentedly as his young nurse ran a cool cloth over his abused chest and abdomen.

“How many do you think are broken?”

“Let’s play it safe and just say all of them,” the sorcerer groaned as she poked a little too hard.

“Thank you,” she whispered, meeting his eyes. “For bringing them back to me.”

Ethan tenderly brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “My Dear, I would bring you the moon if you asked for it.”

Dawn looked up to notice the Slayers were arguing… again. “Hey! Shouldn’t we get them to the hospital?”

“There’s no time,” Giles straightened and said in a commanding voice. “It’s not safe to separate now.” All eyes were on him. “Angel, I make it thirty-seven minutes.”

“Yes,” the older vampire nodded. “Not much time.”

“What?” Xander’s head popped up from bandaging Willow’s neck. “What’s in thirty-seven minutes?”

“Sunset,” Angel answered.

“They’ll come for me.”

 

***

In the comfortable back office of Caritas, Lorne knelt, cradling the shaking form of Cordelia. He helped her up slowly and sat her on the couch.

“You gotta stop doin’ that to me, Sweet Bread. I about had a heart attack.”

Cordelia looked up into his kind face with the heel of her hand pressed against her temple and gave a small smile. “I’ll try. Wouldn’t want to cause you any pain.”

“That’s all I ask,” he smiled. When he was sure she was steady, Lorne handed her a glass of water and went to the desk in search of painkillers.

Gunn walked in and took one look at the scene before him. “What is it? Another vision?”

“Either that or I just got kamikazed by a two ton bug,” Cordelia groaned.

The Host returned to her with a bottle, and Gunn went to sit carefully beside her. “Anything we should know about?” the young man asked softly.

Cordelia’s head popped up, as if everything she’d seen suddenly became clear in her mind. “It’s time to go. He needs our help.”

“Who? Angel?”

“No,” a beatific smile spread on her face, “Giles!”


	13. Bring on the Night

13\. Bring on the Night

 

Faith easily heaved two twin mattresses over the banister to Angel, who dragged them in to be laid on the cleared office floor. Buffy carried Willow in to make her comfortable on one, and Dawn helped Ethan to the other.

“Are you sure this is the best place to put them?” Buffy whispered to Giles as he shifted a heavy bookcase into position in the doorway so that one person could barely squeeze through the opening.

“It’s the best we can do to protect them.” He noticeably avoided looking at her as he spoke. “If we’re lucky, we can keep the fight here and on our terms. Anywhere else, and we might not know if they’re in danger.” He slid out of the room after glancing to make sure Angel was doing well stacking more heavy furniture to block the small glass window. “Faith! When you’ve gotten everything we need, block off that hallway the best that you can. We don’t need them raining down on us from above.”

“Got it covered,” Faith called back. “No one’s gettin’ through up here.”

Wesley and Xander appeared from the basement. “Everything down there’s sealed up,” Xander responded to Giles’ questioning look. “We even found that one opening you discovered that no one here knew about. There will be no mole people sneaking up on us tonight.”

“Good,” Giles sighed. “One point of entry. It should nullify their numbers enough to give us a chance.”

Xander went to the pile of blankets and pillows Faith had thrown to the floor and picked up as many as he could handle before taking them in to Willow. Giles watched as Wesley stiffly moved to begin preparing the weapons and tested the feel of a sword, swinging it carefully.

“You can hardly move,” the vampire said softly to the young ex-Watcher. “I know what you’re thinking but, when the time comes, you should stay hidden with the others.”

Wesley turned to face him, standing as straight as he could. The pain of the simple movement was evident on his face. “Would you?” he whispered. “With a fight like this coming and if you were wounded. Would there be anything that could make you stand by and watch?”

Giles lowered his eyes with a small smile. Perhaps they really were more similar than he had ever thought. Unable to look into the eyes of the man who had so recently been a victim of his own cruel torture, he tentatively asked, “Will you allow me to help you?”

“What happened to me isn’t your responsibility.” Wesley took a moment to study the downturned face before him. Yes, it was this face that had met him the previous night, had taunted and teased him. But the being that caused him pain had worn a completely different face. He suddenly looked on that fact as a small mercy, making forgiveness easier than he had ever expected. Seeing the guilt apparent in the other man, Wesley sighed, “Your help would be welcomed.”

Giles looked up at him, surprised to see the sincerity in his eyes. He stepped forward, carefully placing the palm of his hand on Wesley’s chest. With his eyes clenched shut and his brow furrowed in concentration, his lips moved with silent words. He began to shake, pressing his palm in harder, and Wesley held back from making any sound at the strange sensation.

When the vampire pulled back, Wesley was breathing hard, as if he’d exerted great effort. But, the breathing came easier. There was no pain at the movement of his chest. He saw the vampire hide his hand. “What did you do?”

“Nothing much,” Giles said quickly. “The spell should numb the nerve-endings for a while and stop the pain. But, it’s a temporary measure. It will wear off, and the pain will return.”

“No,” Wesley snapped, grabbing Giles’ arm and pulling it forward. “What’s that?” He pointed at the red, inflamed skin starting to crack all over Giles’ hand.

“A small price. I will heal quickly, and I will have you to fight at my side. A fair trade in my opinion.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” the ex-Watcher insisted. Seeing the need in the vampire’s eyes, his features softened. “Thank you.”

Faith leapt down beside Giles as Wesley walked away to pass out some weapons. “All set up stairs. They’ll need a battering ram to get through the mess I left up there. Have to tell ya’, Big Guy, I’m amped for some rough and tumble.”

Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Faith, I feel I need to--”

“Stop right there. If you’re about to try to apologize for what happened earlier, save it. Far as I’m concerned, we’re five-by-five. And hey, you really feel a need to make it up to me, maybe after we survive the night you can show me how much better you are with a soul.” Faith wouldn’t have thought it possible, but she could have sworn the vampire in front of her was blushing.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered, ducking his head shyly. He turned and went to help the others, not noticing Buffy as he walked past.

Before Faith could move on, the blond Slayer grabbed her arm and whispered harshly, “Did you sleep with my Watcher?”

Faith pulled away and replied with a grin, “No. I took a page out of your book and fucked a vamp. But, if he ever gets the itch, your Watcher won’t have to ask me twice.” She strode away, leaving a stunned Buffy behind.

“You sure this is a good idea, Ripper. I mean, I haven’t had much time to recover, and I can’t expect any help from our little witch here.” Ethan was lying on the mattresses next to Willow. He reached over and made sure her blankets were securely tucked around her.

“I’ll put the spell in place. All you have to do is maintain it.” Giles glanced around to be sure they were alone for the moment. “Ethan, if I fall…”

“With my life,” his old friend whispered seriously.

Dawn slid into the office. “Looks like we’re as ready as we can be for them.”

The vampiric Watcher turned to her and held up a short sword. “This is only for you to defend yourself if worse comes to worst,” he said sternly. “You do not come out for any reason.”

“I understand,” Dawn sighed and reached out to take the sword. As the weapon was passed, Giles’ hand lightly brushed against the splints on Dawn’s fingers and he pulled away quickly. He turned away, shoulders hunched, but Dawn reached out and took his hand, the same hand that had hurt her. She squeezed as best she could with her injuries. “It wasn’t you,” she murmured to him. “It was never you.”

All he could do was look back at her with tears threatening in his eyes and nod once, then slip out of the room.

“Hey, G-man, where do you want me?” Xander walked up to him. The boy had a crossbow in his good hand, a sword strapped to his hip, and his sling held a load of stakes. The smile he received was the first that was truly Giles that he’d seen in a long time, and he couldn’t help smiling back. “What?”

“Thank you,” Giles answered quietly, “for always being Xander.”

“Yeah, well, before… It was just hard to see Wills like that. I know it wasn’t…”

“I understand… You look, um, well prepared.”

“Hey,” Xander perked up, “last Scoobie sans super-powers here. Just means I have to try harder.”

“I need you right here,” the vampire told him, glancing into the office.

“Come on, now. I assure you I’m just as clumsy with one arm as with two. You know I can’t just hide and watch.”

“Dawn and Willow are in there, Xander. If we fail, you’ll be their last defense. There’s no one I’d trust more.” He put a hand on Xander’s shoulder.

“I won’t let you down again,” the boy said softly. Before Giles could respond, or even process the comment, he had disappeared into the office.

“Sun’s going down,” Angel called from the front doors. “Finishing touches time.”

Giles nodded, and turned to face the office. He picked up the book leaning against the wall and looked over the spell one last time. Handing the book through the doorway, he placed his hand on the wall and began to speak. As he chanted, the small window and door frame faded and closed in, seeming to grow towards the center. By the time he finished, all that was in front of him was a continuous wall. It was as if the office was never there.

“Wow,” Faith laughed. “Now there’s a handy trick.”

“You all must remember,” Giles called so that everyone would hear him, “this is nothing but an illusion. If one of you passes through this barrier and are seen, they will know you’re here.”

“Got it.” Xander’s voice came clearly through the false wall. “No noise, no heroics, don’t do anything stupid. And I’m thinking it looks cooler from that side, because we can still see you.”

“To give you a better chance of defending yourselves,” Giles said calmly to the blank wall.

Angel peered out into darkness. “Showtime.”

 

***

Giles sat on the counter with his eyes closed, listening. He could hear Buffy’s rapid footfalls as she paced the lobby floor. He could hear Xander, Dawn, and Ethan whispering in the hidden office. He could hear Wesley calmly breathing as he tried to keep himself prepared. He could hear Angel checking the perimeter once again. And he could hear Faith’s heartbeat as she leaned against the counter next to him.

“All this waitin’s rubbin’ me wrong, Big Guy. You sure they really wanna come get you back?”

Giles chuckled softly at her attempt to lighten the mood. “If only I could tell you I wasn’t that important to them.”

Buffy stopped pacing and looked at the two of them with an odd expression Giles couldn’t decipher. “I’m beginning to wonder, too. It has to be well after midnight now. We were in such a hurry to be ready for sunset, and now we’ve just been sitting around for hours.”

“Tell me, Buffy,” Giles sighed, “have you ever read The Art of War?” He was the only one to catch Wesley’s slight smirk.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I… He…” Giles frowned. “Justin was chosen for a reason. He will not rush in without knowing what to expect. When he comes, it will only be when he’s ready.”

“We’ve got company,” Angel flew through the front doors. “They’ve been testing the perimeter. Figuring out all their options.”

“Stay back for now,” Giles ordered, moving to the center of the room as the doors burst open again. It was a group of six vampires, led by the tall, dark-skinned youth that was once herald and lover.

“Master,” he greeted Giles with surprise. Then turned his yellow eyes on Buffy. “We have come to make the Slayers an offer. Release him, and we will let you live to be his play things. Refuse, and we will pile your worthless corpses at his feet.”

“What if I told you I am not a prisoner?” Giles replied in a commanding voice. “Tell Justin to take the others and go. I’m not your master anymore.”

“They have corrupted you, My Lord,” the vampire hissed. “They will die for this violation!”

The vanguard swept forward, moving around Giles like a wave parting at a boulder. As he had expected, none were willing to fight their master. He could hear the initial clash behind him and wanted to turn and help whoever might be in need, but there was no time as the second wave washed in. 

Giles lunged forward to meet them at the door, taking down as many as possible before they could get to the others. He swung wildly, keeping those surrounding him off balance until he could strike effectively. Seeing an opening, his hand shot forward and his stake impacted solidly. The young vampire stared at him, his eyes filled with confusion and betrayal as he turned to dust. Giles stamped down hard on the guilt churning inside him. Now was not the time, he had to keep fighting.

The cloud of dust grew thick around him near the entrance. Even with as many as he could kill, he knew that too many were getting by him. With a spin, he managed to steal a brief glance at the others. There were still four standing. He had to remember, two Slayers, a strong vampire, and a well trained man who knew the score. These were not children he had to protect.

But there were more coming. He could see them approach like a writhing mass. Even through the darkness, he could make out individual faces. These were not his soldiers. Justin was sending in the new blood. Untrained, undisciplined and, as of yet, unattached to their master. They would descend upon him in a hoard, overwhelm him like the wolf pack overwhelms a bear.

Finding a moment of peace, Giles closed his eyes and collected himself. Shaking with effort, he thrust his palms forward and threw as much power out as he could. The river of fire shot through the open doors and engulfed the approaching mass. Deafening screams of pain echoed through the air.

Giles glanced back and saw the false wall fade for a moment. “Come on, Ethan,” he muttered, “take it. Hold it for me.”

As he focused once more on the darkness outside, Giles caught sight of a lone figure emerging from the haze of dust and smoke, running full speed with an axe raised over its head. Something in the back of his mind sparked and, in a split-second decision, made him go for the block instead of the kill. He caught the down-swinging blade and stared into the focused eyes of Gunn.

“Woah… Just a sec.” Cordelia was suddenly between them, pushing against the chests of both men. “Look at me,” she ordered Giles. He did as he was told and allowed her to search his eyes. “It’s true. They did it.”

“How can you be sure?” Gunn eyed him suspiciously.

“Believe me. No one in the world has eyes like Giles.” Cordelia glanced behind the vampire and squeaked, “God, Wes…” She ran off and Gunn started after her.

“Protect her,” Giles called after him.

The young warrior looked back. “We survive this. You and me, we gonna have a talk about who gets to give me orders.”

Giles turned back with a chuckle that caught in his throat as he came face to face with a single soldier. “Justin,” he breathed.

 

***

Dawn grabbed Xander’s arm as he jumped forward once again. He glanced back at her and she shook her head sternly. They were both going crazy. Through their thin view to the outer room, they watched the fight intensify. Everyone had spread out. Both Buffy and Faith were taking on three and four at a time. Wesley was holding his own, but just barely. Angel seemed to be all over the place, managing to drop in just where he was needed. And Giles was on his own at the far end of the room, heading off as many as he could, but always on the verge of being overwhelmed.

“I can’t just sit here like a lump,” he hissed.

“You think I’m having fun?” Dawn whispered back. “That’s my family out there, too. You heard what Giles said. We have to protect Willow.” The girl smiled as he closed his eyes and nodded. She knew that was her ace in the hole.

A wild back kick from Faith caught a small vampire in the chest and it came flying back through the false wall. Xander and Dawn were stunned for a moment as they all tumbled into a heap. 

Willow opened her eyes groggily. “Karen?”

“You,” the vampire spat at her. “You did this to him. He could have had anything. The world would have bowed before him. But all he wanted was you. You couldn’t just love him like the rest of us. You had to resist him and refuse him. And now look what you’ve done to him!”

“I… I,” Willow tried to respond with tears in her eyes.

The vampire lunged at the witch with furious fire in her eyes and claws outstretched. Her progress was halted by a tackle from Xander, who was giving all he had just to hold her. He managed to turn her just enough to give Dawn an opening, and the girl plunged a stake home.

“Karen,” Willow whispered with uncontrolled tears as her companion of the last three days was reduced to dust. “But I do love him,” she breathed.

“I know,” Ethan pulled her shaking form to him. “He knows it, too.”

Dawn looked at Xander, both breathing hard. “Still dying to go out there?”

The boy gave her a shy smile. “Have to protect you, remember?”

 

***

Justin stepped forward, and Giles couldn’t help a minor retreat. “I refused to believe it. I thought it was some trick they were trying to pull on us. Or, perhaps, you were tricking them somehow. But the pyrotechnics show cleared everything up for me. I should have destroyed it days ago. It and the witch.”

“Justin, please… I don’t want this. I don’t want to fight you.”

“You’ve been poisoned by that filthy soul. That red-headed bitch stole you from us.”

“No,” Giles’ voice trembled. “This is who I am. If you’ll let me help you…”

“You made me! You are my sire, my teacher, my master, the only father-god I need. Your cause was our cause. And now you are the one standing in our way.” Justin morphed into his demon visage. “I will not let you be dishonored!”

He launched into an attack with the fury of a mad man. It was all Giles could do to defend against it as he was forced back across the room. Suddenly there was a wall behind him and nowhere else to go. Justin caught his retaliatory strikes easily and smashed a fist into his face. Then another stunning punch… And another… And another… Giles slumped down the wall with his protégé atop him.

At the edge of his awareness, Giles heard Buffy call his name, but he knew none of them would be able to get to him. Justin crouched above him, one knee grinding into the pit of his stomach. He caught Justin’s stake, fighting against it as it slowly dug into the flesh over his heart.

“I would have followed you in an attack on the gates of Heaven itself,” Justin raged. “You were my perfection. But don’t worry. I will carry on your cause. The name of Magister will be honored forever as we build this world according to your vision.”

Giles wanted to weep. He suddenly felt so very tired. This was once a fine young man, murdered and turned into a monster by his own hands. Who else had such a right to put an end to him? Who else deserved to watch as he faded from this world of suffering? All he had to do was let go. Let the stake plunge into his heart, no longer worthy to beat.

“I’m sorry,” was the only thing he could whisper to his young victim as he dropped his hand from the stake.

Dust filled the air and drifted down to cover his shaking body. He looked up through tears to see Spike standing over him, a loaded mini-crossbow pointed at his heart.

“Tell me something, Watcher-man,” Spike stared at him intently. “Should I kill you right now?”

Giles looked up at him and blinked. “Yes,” his voice cracked. “Do everyone a favor and end me now.”

To Giles’ surprise, Spike smirked and offered a hand. “Good answer. Only someone with a soul knows how to want death that badly.”

Giles slammed both fists into the floor and screamed, shouting out the release he was being denied. The remnants of his army knew the roar. Both leaders gone, they had nothing left to fight for, and scattered.

“Yeah, that’s right! Run for it!” Spike shouted after them as Giles finally took his hand.

“No, no, no,” Drusilla cried out, clutching at her head. “All my dark boys ruined. Take, take, take, Slayer.” She turned angry eyes on Buffy. “It’s you that always spoils everything. Plant your grubby little worms in their brains and makes them like to suffer.”

She began to advance on the Slayers, but all three former lovers moved in front of her.

“Go, Drusilla,” Giles said softly. “Tell the lawyers it’s all over.”

“You were so beautiful. Shiny like a black hole. And now all tainted. All made dirty by her.” The mad vampire grabbed her head and howled.

“Go on, Dru,” Spike told her.

“Leave,” Angel added.

As Drusilla disappeared into the darkness, Buffy strode up. “Okay, three of you, and you all let her go.”

Giles lowered his eyes to the floor. “You wouldn’t understand, Buffy.”

“Dru’s…” Angel searched for a word, “complicated.”

“Harm?” Spike laughed.

The blond peeked out from behind a planter and slowly emerged with her hands up. “Not here to make trouble. Please don’t kill me.”

Giles caught Buffy by the arm to prevent her from going after her old classmate. “What are you still doing here, Harmony?” he stepped forward.

“You know, just… Nowhere else to go. And I thought maybe…” She came closer and looked up at him.

Spike choked on his laughter. “Dru and Harm? Damn, Watcher, bettin’ you got more action in a week of being dead than you got in your whole bleedin’ life.” Giles’ only response was a groan.

“I know I’m the only one here without a soul and everything. But I can still be good. I can try.” She looked at Giles with pleading eyes. “Maybe if…”

He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know how he treated you, Harmony. You deserve better than that.”

“Maybe… But at least he made me feel something. And I know you wouldn’t treat me like that.”

Giles heard a noise behind him and turned to see Faith moving the bookcase, and Willow coming out of the office, leaning on Xander and Anya. He pulled Harmony into his arms and whispered against the top of her head. “You know I can’t, Love. You’ll find someone better, who’ll want you for you.”

Harmony pulled out of his arms. “It’s always this way,” she cried. “There’ll always be someone besides me.” She spun around and bolted out the doors.

“Harm, be careful. It’s almost…” Giles’ voice faded.

Spike ran past him. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she gets underground before she does somethin’ to get herself hurt.”

“So, now we’re letting all the vampires go?” Buffy huffed.

Giles sighed, “Buffy, I’m a vampire. There are three vampires here that are perfectly serviceable for staking if you feel the need.”

“But you’re different, you all have souls.”

“If you say so,” he walked past her.

The rest of their little band were milling together. It seemed that everyone who had been living when the evening began was still doing so. Wesley had suffered a few minor wounds, which Cordelia was now fussing over, much to his chagrin. Dawn was excitedly filling Anya in on recent events. Ethan quietly escaped the little ‘family gathering’ and settled himself on the stairs by the front doors. And Willow looked Giles over, grateful that he was in one piece.

He took both her hands to steady her and murmured, “Are you all right?”

“I will be,” Willow smiled. “Still a little weak, but it’s getting better. Are you all right?”

Giles glance towards the open front doors. “I will be. Willow, I would have died a hundred times over if it meant you wouldn’t have had to go through that. I’m so sorry.”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “And I would go through that and more to have you standing in front of me. The only thing I expect you to apologize for is not telling me earlier.”

He kissed her hand and took a step back. “Then I have one more to make to you. I am sorry that you know now. Please forgive me for the pain I must cause you.”

“What?” Willow reached for him in panic.

“Ethan,” Giles called.

“You’ve never apologized for pummeling me before, Ripper. No need to start.”

“Ethan, do it you bloody nuisance,” Giles growled.

“All right!” With a gesture and a word, the sorcerer threw up an energy field between Giles and his family, confining the chattering group.

“Don’t you do this to me, you bastard!” Willow screamed at the vampire. “Not now. Not after everything.” Her outburst brought everybody else’s attention to what was going on.

“Remember me as I was when I was alive,” he whispered to her.

Faith sprinted at the field. “Not on my watch you don’t!” She crashed into the barrier and was violently thrown back.

“Faith, Dear, you have always been underestimated. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am--”

“I swear, if you try to apologize to me one more time, I’ll find a way to kill you myself,” the Slayer growled as she stood.

“Yes,” he smiled sadly, “I believe you would.” His gaze shifted. “Cordy, in the club, it must have been a frightening experience.”

“What, the whole breaking comment? Yeah right, you wish. The only frightening thing was the total hotness of you. And that, I could get used to.”

“Nevertheless,” Giles sighed. His eyes moved to Xander. “I want you to know you have never let me down. You’ve grown into a fine young man. And, if I had some small part in that, I couldn’t be more proud.”

“Please,” Xander begged softly, “don’t.”

“Dawn, if I could have stopped him…”

“Hey, a couple of wonky fingers. I know plenty who’ve survived worse. And besides, I think you did. He could have done much worse and let me suffer, but he didn’t. No one can tell me that wasn’t you protecting me. As always.”

“I am sorry,” he whispered. “Anya and Wes, you have both become fine people, and I’m proud to have known you. And Buffy,” he still refused to look her in the eyes, “you are the oldest Slayer ever. You can handle anything. Watch over them.”

“Giles?”

He turned and looked at the sky that was just beginning to turn pink.

Buffy began to panic as the energy field forced her back. “Giles, I need you! I can’t do this without you!”

“Yes you can.” He moved toward the door, waiting for sunrise. “You all can.”

Spike ran through the door and grinned as he leaned against a wall. “Whoo, that was a close one. Almost got a slow roast, if ya know what I mean.” He took one look around and stood up straight. “Oh, no ya don’t. Not while I’m here to stop you. I know this was a bad idea, but now that the rough patch is done, I’m not gonna let ya throw everything away.”

“I don’t want to fight you, Spike,” Giles growled. “Get out of the way.”

“I’m not gonna just stand here and watch you hurt them like this.”

“Then watch from somewhere else!” Giles shouted, raising a hand. Spike flew straight up and was pinned to the high ceiling by an invisible force.

“Oi!” the bleach blond vampire squawked. “Not fair!”

Giles watched as the sky brightened. The first rays peeked over the buildings, and the watcher stepped forward resolutely.

From somewhere unnoticed, Angel stepped into his path.


	14. A Heartbeat

14\. A Heartbeat

 

“So, what now?” Angel asked softly. “Are you going to just swat me aside like you did Spike?”

“I would expect you, of all people, to understand. I can’t live like this, Angel. It all hurts too much.”

“I do understand. Do you really think I’ve never stared out a window and considered it a nice day for a walk? Giles, we are all here for a reason. And we can’t erase our sins with something as simple as death. No matter how much we want to.”

“But I already did die. That was supposed to be my end, my job finished.”

Angel laughed. “And for about half the people in this room it didn’t work out that way. We’re not finished until this world is done with us.”

“I can’t… I can’t live with the memories.”

“The memories of what the demon you now keep caged did in a week. Try having memories of a hundred years, like Spike. Or two hundred, like me. You’re not the only one here with something to atone for.”

“Don’t you get it?” Spike yelled from above. “Angel’s soul was a curse. Mine, I had to go and fight for the right to get back. Your soul was given to you, free and clear by the people who love you. And this is how you want to repay them, you berk?”

“Angel, step aside,” Giles growled.

“No. See, I’m guessing you’re pretty much tapped out magick-wise for a while. That’s why you’re having the stooge over there do the dirty work for you.”

“Hey,” Ethan groused.

“Holding Spike is about your limit right now. So, if you want to do this, you’re going to have to come through me.”

Giles glared at the other vampire. “This has been a long time coming, Angel.”

“Yes, it has.” Angel drove forward, forcing Giles deeper into the room. 

Giles grunted as he staggered back from the force of Angel’s shoulder driving into his midsection. He brought his elbow down sharply between Angel’s shoulder blades, stopping his forward momentum and dropping him to his knees. Angel didn’t loosen his grip, however, and was back on his feet before Giles could take advantage of his position. The two of them clinched like two bulls locking horns. Now equals in strength and stamina, the straining power they exerted on one another could only be measured in gains of centimeters. The stunned room held its breath in collective silence as the moments stretched to minutes and beyond, neither powerhouse showing any signs of giving.

“Think about what you’re doing, Giles,” Angel ground out, teeth clenched.

“Haven’t you heard?” Giles scoffed. “All I do is think. In fact, it often seems to be the case that I’m the only one who is thinking.”

Giles shifted his grip suddenly in an attempt to throw Angel off balance, but Angel countered, locking him in place once more. 

“Do you plan on holding me forever?” Giles asked.

“You’re not really my type,” Angel replied with a smirk. “But I will hold you here until sunset if that’s what it takes to get you to use your head.”

Giles twitched an eyebrow up, then smashed his forehead into the bridge of Angel’s nose, rocking his head back. He used the momentum to sweep Angel’s legs from under him and sent him crashing to the floor. Free at last, Giles vaulted the fallen vampire to sprint for the open door, but Angel’s hand shot up, catching him by the ankle and sending him crashing to the floor in turn, just inches from the brightening sunshine in the courtyard. 

Giles growled in frustration as he looked over his shoulder at Angel. But Angel stood, ignoring the blood now flowing freely from his nose, and used his iron grip on Giles’ ankle to send him sliding across the lobby floor toward the trapped onlookers. The vampiric Watcher bounced off the energy field and scrambled to his feet. 

Giles charged Angel, reversing the roles by slamming his shoulder into Angel’s midsection and driving him into the wall. He scooped up a discarded short sword and drove it through Angel’s shoulder and into the wall behind him, embedding it to the hilt. Stepping back, Giles turned to the door.

Angel struggled to free himself, grabbing the hilt with both hands and pulling for all he was worth. It didn’t budge. 

“Giles!” he shouted with an edge of panic to his voice. Seeing the determined look on the Watcher’s face he increased his efforts to free himself. “Please, Giles!”

Giles spared the other vampire an almost sympathetic glance, squared his shoulders, and walked resolutely toward the sunlight. 

“I wouldn’t do that, Luv,” Ethan said gently from his perch as he noticed Willow closing her eyes in concentration. “The very nature of chaos magick is to be unstable. If you miss-guess at a counter spell even a bit, the results might kill us all.”

Buffy screamed out, “Giles, you don’t have to do this! Give us some time… Let us help you work through this…”

Her voice was joined by a chorus of other pleas as the vampire Watcher stared out into the bright morning sunlight.

“Please, Ethan…” Dawn’s small voice broke through the din.

The sorcerer’s midnight eyes held a soft twinkle as he gazed at her. “You know I would gladly lay my power at your feet, Dawn. But my oath to him ties my hands here. I’m sorry, My Innocent.” He gave her a wink.

Everything suddenly clicked into place in the girl’s mind. Ethan had told her all that she needed to know. He had foreseen this from the beginning. And he saw all the power to change it in her. With a set determination, Dawn stepped toward the barrier.

“No,” Anya grabbed her arm. “I know I just got here and should not be blamed, but if you touch that energy, you’ll get hurt. Then your sister will likely kill me for not stopping you, and kill Ethan for… Well, I don’t want her to kill me.”

“Anya,” Dawn’s eyes pleaded with her, “you’ve been around magick for over a thousand years. Have you ever heard a legend about the only thing stronger than chaos magick?”

A sudden memory lit in Anya’s mind and she released the girl’s arm. Before anyone else could notice her moving, Dawn sprinted toward the barrier. She closed her eyes in anticipation as she hit it, but passed through feeling only a buzz in the air. In moments she stood in front of Giles, blocking his path to certain suicide. The rest of the room watched this unexpected confrontation with baited breath.

He stopped mid-stride and looked down at her with sad, tortured eyes. “Your power isn’t what it used to be, Ethan,” he growled, knowing that his old friend and enemy had done this on purpose.

“Come now, Ripper. You know this beautiful, young thing holds power over both of us. Why not just push her aside and continue your bloody death march? I can stay and take care of her for you.”

“You’re a degenerate old git, and I’ll kill you for even looking at her wrong.”

Ethan grinned widely. “Guess I’ll be safe to do as I please in a few minutes then.”

“There are plenty here who will gladly do the job for me.”

“Hey!” Dawn screamed. “First, Ethan is one of the only people here to ever treat me like an adult. Second, this right now is about you and me, so stop trying to avoid it. And third, Eww!” She looked up at him, shaking with equal parts fear and anger. “I’m not going to let you do this.”

“It’s the only way, Dawn. I can’t live like this. I won’t be the monster I’ve been turned into. Everyone will be better off when I’ve gone.”

Dawn’s dark eyes turned to steel as she stared him down. “Show me,” she growled. “Everyone’s spent all this time trying to protect me. I want to know what from. Show me this monster.”

“Dawn, please. It’s better that you remember me as I was.”

“Show me!” The girl picked one of the more painful looking wounds on his chest and drove her fist into it with all her might. Giles let out a grunt at the spike of agony, but made no other reaction. “Let me see your monster!” Tears began to pour down her cheeks as a hail of blows continued to pound into his chest. “You’re determined to make me hate you anyway, you bastard! Why not give me a good reason? Frighten me with this ugly thing you are!” Her voice squeaked in her rage.

She suddenly froze as one of her flailing punches elicited an angry howl and she looked up into the face of the beast. Yellow eyes blazed out at her from beneath the sharp, angular ridges of his brow. His open, curled lips showed off sharp, deadly fangs. The rumble in his chest was a menacing growl. This was what she wanted to come face to face with. The monster of her darkest nightmares. And the child within her began to panic, wanted to flea for her life. No words could escape her clenched throat, so she did the only thing she could to let her feelings be understood loud and clear.

At first, Giles wasn’t sure what was happening. But he could see her, feel her there. Her arms wrapped around his chest, her body pressed to his like she was holding on for dear life. She was hugging him. Hugging the beast that had hurt her, hurt all of them in some way. It was the last thing he’d expected, a feeling he never deserved to feel again. Yet it was given freely, a gift from an innocent love. The kind of gift that could not be denied or fought.

Her warmth seemed to penetrate every inch of his cold, hollow body. He let it melt through him. It was unlike anything he had experienced since his death. Flowing deeper than the dark warmth that Faith had offered, burning warmer than the heat he had tried to steal from Willow. It was even more invigorating than the sudden fire of hunting and feeding. It was the bright light of free forgiveness and love, and it blanketed him like the rays of a healing sun.

He felt her tears on his chest. They soaked into him like the first drops of rain on parched earth. And they brought with them hope and new life, just as the beginning of the long awaited rainy season does for the Kalahari. 

The beast felt so very far away now, his hard features receded and his eyes filled with tears to match hers. He allowed his arms to return her embrace, willing her fire to consume him. Giles released a shuddering breath, a quiet sob that he had been holding on to for longer than he could remember. And the monster cried with her. 

“Please,” Dawn wept into his shirt. “Don’t take yourself away from me again. Not again. Not forever. I’ve lost so much. I can’t lose you, too. Please stay with me.”

After a few more minutes, when Giles at last felt that letting go of her would not instantly kill him, he released the hug and held her by the shoulders. He knelt before her, reaching up to gently wipe tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. A small smile snuck across his lips as she did the same for him. “What am I, Dawn? Who am I supposed to be now? You are so young and so full of life. What can a dead man have to offer you? I can’t even give you warmth when you’re cold. I don’t even have a heartbeat.”

Dawn stepped closer to him, embracing him again and pressing his head to her chest. She held him there quietly for a few moments before murmuring, “Do you hear that?” He nodded slowly as the sound and feel of her strong heartbeat echoed though him. “That is your heartbeat now. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the only one you need. And for the rest, we can figure all of that out together.” She let him go and stared into his eyes with a seriousness that defied her youth. “Is that all right with you?”

Giles nodded slowly and sat back on his heels. “I am yours,” he sighed. “I will live at your command and die only on your order.”

“Then you will live for a very long time,” she smiled.

The room let out a collective sigh of relief. 

Giles stood and turned back to the others, but still held Dawn close. “It’s over, Ethan. You can release them now.”

“If you say so. But, just remember, Ripper, if you ever get the urge to leave this world again, I’ve fulfilled my oath. Next time, you’re on your own.”

Dawn looked over at him, her arm around Giles’ waist. “There won’t be a next time,” she said with a sure voice.

The barrier dropped, and Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn hurried to free Angel from the wall. 

“Ay!” Spike hollered. “What about me?”

Giles didn’t look up but, with a twitch at the corner of his lips, he released the spell. Spike dropped with a shriek that seemed a little too high-pitched. He hit the ground with a heavy thud.

The bleached blond vampire groaned. “What was that for? What’d I ever do to you?” After a moment he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, all right…” With a hidden smirk, Buffy went to help him up.

Willow, with Xander’s support, made her way to Giles. She stood there, staring at him for a moment with an unreadable expression on her face. He watched the red growing on her cheeks. Everyone except Giles jumped, surprised when she suddenly swung and slapped him hard across the face.

“You know you deserved that, don’t you?” Willow growled.

“Yes,” he looked at her with soft amusement in his eyes. “That and more.”

“You know it, Mister. And I plan to remind you on a regular basis.”

Faith put a supporting hand on Willow’s shoulder and glared at the vampire. “Just let me know if your hand gets tired,” she said to the other girl. “I think we all deserve to get a little ass kicking in for that stunt.”

Willow smiled over at her. “He steps out of line again and I might just take you up on the offer.”

Giles ducked his head with a guilty smile. When Willow stepped closer, he reached out to touch her face, but held his cold fingers back. She took his hand and pressed it to her heated cheek.

“How can you be so forgiving?”

Willow brushed her lips across the palm of his hand. “I learned from watching you. Forgiveness is an act of compassion, given to those who need it, whether deserved or not. Isn’t that what you taught us, what you showed us? How much easier is it to forgive someone who deserves it? How much easier for someone you love?”

“You know none of this is going to be easy,” he whispered to her. “I have a lot to figure out before… anything.”

“I know.” She looked into his face and read everything he was afraid to say. “And I’ll be here waiting. We all will. I know sometimes we can be insensitive, and selfish, and foolish, and just plain young and stupid. But we do know what counts. And we know what’s worth fighting and waiting for. An excellent role-model taught us all of that.” She held his hand in both of hers. “This part I do understand.”

“I don’t deserve--”

“No, you don’t. But you get it all anyway.”

“God,” Buffy walked up, “you scared the hell out of me. Is it like a pastime with you? Figuring out new ways to freak Buffy out? What new way can I take off on her now? ‘Cause I gotta tell you, not loving this game.”

“Buffy,” Giles murmured, his eyes focusing on her hands.

“You’re just lucky Dawn got through that thick head of yours…”

“Buffy, listen,” he said in a voice that demanded attention. When she was quiet, he took a moment and continued. “I have to go.”

“What!?!”

“I need time. Time to think things through. To find out what I am. To figure out how to forgive.”

“But, Giles, none of this is your fault. You didn’t do any of those awful things. Stay and we can help you forgive yourself.”

Giles looked at Willow, gaining strength from her small nod of support. He then turned his gaze on Buffy, at last letting her look into his eyes. They burned with passion as his soul flooded them with everything he was feeling. The pain, the sorrow, the betrayal, the injury, the confusion. “I’m not the one I need time to forgive, Buffy,” he said in a low tone.

“What?” the Slayer whispered. “But I did it all for--”

“Who, Buffy? Who did you do this for?” Giles sighed as tears began to glisten in her eyes. “I would think that you, of all people, would know. You are the Slayer, put on this Earth to fight the vampire. And yet you chose to make me, your Watcher, and, I believed, your friend, one of the evil we’ve spent so many years battling against. Not only that, but you denied me my rest, my peace. You, who were torn yourself from Heaven, took from me the chance to see it for myself. Even if I was never worthy of any rest or reward, don’t I deserve the opportunity to find out?”

“I… I couldn’t… I didn’t…” Her voice fell very small. “Don’t you love us anymore?”

“Buffy, nothing will ever change my feelings for any of you. I just need time. I will find the forgiveness to give you. Just give me a little time. I promise, I will come back, as I always have. Can you give me the time I need?”

Buffy swallowed hard and nodded. “As long as you come back.”

“An apocalypse couldn’t stop me.”

“All right,” Dawn broke the oppressively heavy mood, “road trip!”

“Dawn, what are you--” His question ended in a fierce roar as he dropped to his knees. The eyes of everyone around him went wide, staring at the tip of an arrow that was suddenly protruding from his chest. Buffy looked up to see a man standing in the doorway, trying to quickly reload a crossbow.

She shot forward, growling, “Travers!”

Faith got to him a split-second before she did and thrust him into the doorframe, pinning him there. Both pairs of Slayer eyes bore into the man with unreserved anger.

“What are you doing here, Travers?” Buffy shouted.

“You know this guy?” Faith thrust him a little harder into the sharp corner at his back.

“Yeah. Quentin Travers. Council man through and through. Always seems to be around to turn bad into worse.”

Travers cleared his throat with a cocky air. “I’m here to clean up your mess, Slayer,” he said to Buffy. “We’ve accepted a lot from you. But we cannot stand by a let a travesty like this fly in the face of everything the Council has stood for since time began.”

Buffy snarled, “I should do the world a favor and just--”

“Just what, Child? Kill me? I am a human being, and even though you’re not a conventional Slayer, you still hold to rules.”

“She might have rules, but I’m damn sure you know who I am,” Faith spat. 

“Yes, Faith. And you are trying to reform and redeem yourself. Going back to killing innocents would be a terrible setback.”

“I don’t see any innocents. And I’ve met plenty of humans who deserve to die as much as any demon. You really think I’ll lose any sleep over you?”

“He’s right,” Buffy tried to calm her. “We can’t just decide which humans deserve to live. That’s not our place.”

Travers made the mistake of letting a cocky grin cross his face. Faith slammed him against the wall again. “You really think she can keep me from taking you out? I don’t give a fuck what--”

“Faith,” Giles called through his pain.

“You’re damn lucky you’re a bad shot,” she growled.

As soon as Faith let him loose, Buffy grabbed him harshly. “Now listen up. Giles has his soul. He is still my Watcher. Go back to the Council and let them know that he is the only Watcher I’ll ever accept. So, if you want to stay any part of the whole Slayer experience, you will treat him with respect. Otherwise, you might as well forget about anything until the next Slayer comes along.”

“Not quite,” Faith added. “Because that would be me. And I think you know how I’d react to anyone messing with the big guy.”

Xander was suddenly with them, forcing Travers out the door with an intimidating presence. “And if Buffy dies, and Faith dies, no matter what happens, someone here will survive. And we will seek out the new Slayer, and make it our mission to let her know how the Council treats their own. Every new Slayer for the rest of our lives, and our children’s lives, and so forth. If Giles so much as gets a paper cut from a Council letter, you will be finished… And I will hunt you down and hold you personally responsible. Now, get the hell out of here!”

When Travers had departed, Xander turned back breathing hard. Anya was right there. “Wow! You should get macho more often. It’s really sexy. Too bad you left me at the altar.” Xander’s air of power completely dissolved.

“Hold on,” Spike told Giles, “this is gonna do a bit more than tickle.” He gripped the end of the arrow and pulled it from Giles’ body. The Watcher howled at the pain. “There… Little blood and you’ll be good as new.”

Giles got to his feet with some support from Dawn. “Guess we should wait a while before we take off,” she smiled.

Giles sighed, “Dawn, what makes you think…?”

“Because I’ve never been out of Southern California. Because you need someone to watch your back in the daytime. And because someone has to take care of you, whether you admit it or not.”

“And who’s going to take care of the fifteen-year-old girl?” her older sister broke in.

“Sixteen soon,” Dawn countered. “I can take care of myself.” Then to Giles, “Hey, we can go north. I’ve always wanted to see the giant trees. People say it’s so beautiful up there.”

Ethan approached slowly. “I know you wouldn’t call on me for any kind of babysitting service but, if you think she needs extra watching, I would offer myself.”

“Oh, that would make this whole idea a lot less insane,” Buffy’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Think about it, Slayer. I’d still be in the custody of a Summers woman, so you wouldn’t have to worry about any trouble from me. Plus, you know, if I even think an inappropriate thought, Ripper here won’t think twice about taking my bloody head off. I’ve grown very fond of spending time with your sister. Perhaps she even has the power to redeem an old sinner.”

Buffy growled. In the meantime, Dawn was grinning up at Giles. She could almost see the moment he gave in and his heart melted under her enthusiasm.

The vampire looked up at the Slayer with a defeated sigh. “It’s up to you, Buffy. Whatever you feel comfortable with is all right with me.”

Buffy frowned at them, her mind racing. She looked at her sister, grinning hopefully, standing there, framed by the two tall Englishmen. A memory came into her mind. Something Ethan once said. Suddenly, she could see them very clearly. A leash holding each man, binding his will to the care of another. But she didn’t hold them. It was her little sister who now had the power over them. She stood there, exercising her gentle control over two of the most powerful watchdogs Buffy had ever seen. Both willing to kill or die to protect her.

“You will call me every day,” Buffy began softly.

“I swear,” Dawn squeaked.

“You can take Angel’s cell phone,” Cordelia said, suddenly letting them know they were being watched by everyone else in the room. “That way you’ll never have any excuses. Just drop it off when you guys come visit us on your way back.”

“Yes, for sure,” Dawn squealed, bouncing excitedly.

“And you,” Buffy pointed at Giles, “Dawn starts school in two weeks. I expect you to have her back by then. Got it?”

“I promise,” Giles smiled.

“Good. Then, I guess I’ll have to trust you three to look after each other. And, if I hear of some major disaster on the news… Well, I’ll know exactly where you are.”

Xander started laughing. “Two middle-aged men and a teen girl. That otta feed the motel rumor mill for a good long while. This is gonna be a road trip they should make a movie out of.”

 

The End of Magister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my proofreaders, my betas, and everyone who encouraged this along the way. And also to those who have left wonderful comments and prodded me to continue this 'Verse. It would all stay locked in my head without you.


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